by Carson Kreitzer
Directed by Leah Cooper
April 15 – May 1, 2016
The Playwrights’ Center
Produced by Workhaus Collective
in association with Walking Shadow Theatre Company
Who is Wonder Woman and where did she come from? Lasso of Truth explores the knotty origin story of our preeminent female superhero, created by William Marston, inventor of the first lie-detector machine. This smart, seductive, wild ride features the two women Marston lived with in a polyamorous relationship – both of whom inspired the famous character – plus a girl in search of answers about her childhood heroine, and a guy trying to hold on to his prized first issue.
Cast
The Inventor – Stephen Yoakam *
The Wife – Annie Enneking *
The Amazon – Meghan Kreidler *
The Girl – McKenna Kelly-Eiding
The Guy – John Riedlinger *
* denotes a member of Actors’ Equity
Production Team
Director – Leah Cooper
Set – Erica Zaffarano
Costumes – Annie Cady
Lighting – Mike Kittel
Sound – Dan Dukich
Props – Sarah Holmberg
Projections – Davey Steinman
Stage Manager – Mawrgyn Roper
Illustrations – Jacob Stoltz
Assistant Director – Molly Chase
Reviews
“Playwright Carson Kreitzer imagines what went on behind the scenes of this polyamorous household in this production co-produced by Workhaus Collective and Walking Shadow Theatre Company. It’s compelling stuff – to which Kreitzer adds Gloria Steinem, a 1990’s fan woman and a comic store proprietor to interject commentary on the impact and meaning of “Wonder Woman.” It’s entertaining and well done, with fine performances by the actors and just the right amount of bondage kinkiness as directed by Leah Cooper… In a time when “Fifty Shades of Grey” has been a bestseller, the bondage themes expressed in the original “Wonder Woman” comics may seem rather tame, but the story of Marston and his Wonder Women lovers – who inspired the comic – is still surprising and fascinating.”
-Renee Valois, Pioneer Press
“Lasso of Truth is the final play produced by the Workhaus Collective, which is ending its operation as a production company after ten years. It is being produced in association with Walking Shadow Theatre Company. During the Collective’s ten year history, it has produced twenty-five new plays and many of the writers it has helped develop have gone on both locally and nationally to develop new plays and win awards… The show has an incredible cast. Stephen Yoakam plays the Marston’s character with great humor. Annie Enneking effectively plays both the accommodating wife who gradually develops her own interest in the bondage games as well as what can only be described as a slightly manic Steinem. Meghan Kreidler plays the Bryne character and convincing shows her primary desires shifting from Marston’s to Marston’s wife. McKenna Kelly-Eiding as the Girl and John Riedlinger as the Guy have a great chemistry making believable the story line that her quest for a first edition of the Wonder Woman comic book results in her finding something much more important.”
-Bev Wolfe, Rift Magazine
“After 10 years of presenting challenging, diverse and provocative new work, Workhaus Collective says farewell to Twin Cities audiences with Carson Kreitzer’s “Lasso of Truth,” a swan song that packs a wallop. The play, produced with Walking Shadow Theatre Company, spans several decades and spins the concept of female superhero Wonder Woman into a dizzying number of directions as it ostensibly explores her origin story… This piece could easily unravel as it follows a dozen different trails in search of Wonder Woman’s essence. Instead, thanks to a uniformly strong cast and Leah Cooper’s crisp direction, Kreitzer’s complex and daring creation plays out like a tightrope act — taut and dangerous, but breathtaking as well.”
-Lisa Brock, Star Tribune
