September 18, 2015 - October 10, 2015
by Liz Duffy Adams
directed by Philip Cuomo
Imago Theatre - 17 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Set over the course of a single evening, Aphra Behn–poet, actress, spy, and one of the first professional female playwrights of the Restoration–has the opportunity to land her first commission for a professional company if she can deliver her play by dawn. Complicating this task are an array of lovers and rivals, from a rogue-spy to a blossoming ingenue to the king himself, vying for her time and affections. With echoes of Restoration comedy, quick-change farce, a dash or two of Tom Stoppard, and the sexual revolution of the 1960’s, Or, is a little valentine to love in the theatre.
Reviews
With its small but effective cast and fast-unfurling dialogue, Or, is a spirited romp that also has a lot to say about the complexity of sex, gender, and being one of the first woman writers ever…Aphra Behn’s story is an important one, and Or,—and Third Rail—does right by it.
Portland Mercury