Women Without Men

Set in a teacher’s lounge in a private girl’s boarding school in Ireland in the 1930s, Women Without Men features an all female cast of eleven. It was written by Hazel Ellis in 1938 and produced the same year in Dublin for the first time. Although greeted warmly by the critics, the play hadn’t been on stage since then. Not until the Mint Theater Company decided to produce it in New York following their mission of returning forgotten plays to the stage.

Extended historical research is an important aspect of the company’s work, the results of which are partly brought to the public in two articles included in the program. The historical and political background information as well as the biography of a playwright sets the mood properly, besides also giving a chance to kill time before the beginning of the play. I thought it’s worth mentioning because theaters don’t do that enough. The educational preview also suits the setting because, after all, we are in school.

We are being introduced to the staff of Malyn Park Private School through the eyes of a newcomer, Jean Wade, young and enthusiastic about her first job and meeting her coworkers. She soon finds herself in the midst of a tense and unfriendly environment where teachers are constantly insulting and picking on each other. The cozy teachers lounge where they are supposed to get rest from pupils and be able to work quietly becomes a snake pit where you are at constant risk of being bitten. Of course being true ladies they do it with grace and dignity to the delight of the audience.

The play is witty and lively, and the entire ensemble of actresses is very strong and well put together. Hazel Ellis gave us a broad range of personalities, every one of which gave the actresses and the director, Jenn Thompson, a rich ground to build on. The performances of some of the actresses made this play set in a realistic and specific setting a timeless story. Mary Bacon (Miss Strong), Kate Middleton (Ruby), Aedin Moloney (Miss Willoughby) and Emily Walton (Miss Jean Wade) created truly three-dimensional characters.

The casting for the part of Madamoiselle Vernier (Dee Pelletier), an older French teacher was not so fortunate. Maybe it had to do with the French accent, maybe it was the somewhat carelessly chosen wig, but Madamoiselle came out as a rather comical character with a very little depth in the performance. I wonder, though, if it was done deliberately to give the tension in the room some comical release?  

Miss Connor, the older English and History teacher, was the most complex and interesting character in the play. In this case, the actress, Kellie Overbey, was also younger than her character but the impeccable styling made her look like anything between 25 and 55, which was exactly what was needed for the role. Her performance was very subtle and intricate and it took some thought to really appreciate its nuances.   

Women Without Men is a workplace drama on the surface but it also offers us a glance of a woman’s struggle to find her place in society. Ironically, for a lot of us things haven’t changed much since the 1930’s. Much like discussed in the play, a woman today has to make a living and often support her family by working multiple jobs, which she doesn’t necessarily like. The only other option to improve living conditions seems to be marriage. But this endeavor is a big lottery in itself and doesn’t always show a big rate of success. Besides, a lot of women don’t find themselves “marketable” for various reasons.

The teachers of Malyn Park School share their fears and concerns with each other when they are not fighting. But mostly they are at each other’s throats. “Look at us, - Miss Strong says to Miss Wade, - a small group of women all cooped together with no relief from each other, saving the privacy of our bedrooms. Women brought together not by choice, not by liking, but by the necessity of earning our living”.          

Women Without Men draws an honest picture of human souls. When crammed together in uncomfortable conditions (they constantly suffer from cold and lack of a hot water) and loaded with work, and when they feel insecure because of the political and economical situation, they inevitably start to show each other their ugly sides.