Isthmus Picks for May 20-27 features a return to live theater from American Players Theatre and Madison Shakespeare Company, virtual community leadership awards presentations from YWCA Madison and Madison College, and much more.
An unexpected variety show
Ross Zentner
A scene from the Forward Theater production 46 Plays for America s First Ladies, with (left to right) Phoebe González, Nadja Simmonds and Matt Daniels.
Sequels are very rarely better than the original stories. But Forward Theaterâs current production of
46 Plays for Americaâs First Ladies is a definite exception â it is even better than its predecessor and companion piece,
44 Plays for 44 Presidents. Written and developed by many of the same artists from Chicagoâs Neo-Futurists (Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Sharon Greene, Chloe Johnston, Bilal Dardai and Andy Bayiates), this funny, inventive, sometimes poignant, sometimes bizarre, episodic variety show focuses on the women behind the men who have led our country over the past 200-plus years. A virtual performance that was filmed in the Overtureâs Playhouse in front of a socially distanced live audience, the play is available to stream until May 23.
ONLINE: 46 Plays for America s First Ladies
Forward Theater
Ross Zentner
A scene from the Forward Theater production 46 Plays for America s First Ladies, with (left to right) Phoebe González, Nadja Simmonds and Matt Daniels.
Forward Theater is part of a world premiere for
46 Plays for Americaâ
s First Ladies, by Chloe Johnston, Sharon Greene, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Bilal Dardai and Andy Bayiates. Itâs a multimedia, genre-defying assemblage of 46 short plays that do, in some sense, act as biographies to Americaâs First Ladies, but are far more than that. The 100-minute show, performed live and filmed at the Overture Center, premieres Saturday evening and will be streaming on demand through May 23. Tickets are available at