Rebellion Faces Off Against Submission in The Anarchist

There’s a lot at stake for two women at the heart of Post Productions’ latest play, The Anarchist by David Mamet. In The Anarchist, which opens at The Shadowbox Theatre on 11 April 2024 for a two-week run, a woman named Cathy (Cindy Pastorius) has been in prison for thirty-five years, convicted of murdering a police officer in her youth, when she was a member of a protest movement gone wrong. Her sentence is indeterminate and she believes she’s spent enough time in prison – now that she’s reformed, she deserves to be released. But one woman stands in her way: Ann (Mary Grace Weir) is the prison administrator who has to sign off on and recommend Cathy for parole if Cathy is to get her wish. The two women meet on Ann’s last day before retirement – and she does not believe Cathy should be released. In fact, she’s committed to ensuring that Cathy will never be released.

“The Anarchist is simple in its presentation but complex and profound in its insights,” says director Michael K. Potter. “It’s basically an extremely intense 90-minute conversation between two women who have completely contradictory goals, with each trying to convince the other to agree with them. By the end the audience will be divided over who they’re rooting for, who they believe, and whether mercy and justice are compatible.” The play calls back to Post Productions’ first play, produced in April 2017. That play, Oleanna by David Mamet, led to passionate arguments between audience members after each performance, and sent one audience member fleeing from the theatre in tears on opening night. As with Oleanna, Mamet deliberately muddies the waters in The Anarchist. The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright is less interested in telling people what to believe than he is in giving them options and letting them figure things out for themselves.

As with most of the plays presented by Post Productions, The Anarchist is not only emotionally intense but packed with ideas and perspectives that are explored, questioned, challenged, and mined for their dramatic potential. During their conversation Ann and Cathy argue about religion, morality, faith, violence, law, politics, the follies of youth, the regrets that come with age, language, sex, and ideology. The audience is presented with a constant flow of ideas to ponder and argue about after each performance.

The Anarchist stars two of the most celebrated actors in Windsor-Essex, both of whom have worked with Post Productions before – as well as many other companies. This play marks the first time audiences will have a chance to see these talented, stalwart, and artistic powerhouses – Cindy Pastorius and Mary Grace Weir – go head-to-head in an unforgettable confrontation. Mary Grace Weir, who plays Ann, recently won the 2024 Windsor-Essex Critics Choice Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Theatrical Role (Play) for her work in The Children by Lucy Kirkwood in 2023. Weir recently performed a widely acclaimed one-woman show, Vitals by Rosamund Small, which she also directed and produced. Other than The Children, previous roles with Post Productions include A, the centerpiece of Three Tall Women by Edward Albee in 2022. Cindy Pastorius has been an audience favourite in many plays by Post Productions since first portraying the mother in True West by Sam Shepherd in 2017. She has worked with nearly every company in the region and, prior to the pandemic, appeared in more plays by Post Productions than any other actor – including Stop Kiss, Pry It From My Cold Dead Hands, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Dead Bear, and Another Fucking Christmas Play: A Fucking Musical. Both actors are gifted at portraying diverse characters in genres ranging from thrillers to dramas to comedies.

The Anarchist by David Mamet will be presented by Post Productions at The Shadowbox Theatre (1501 Howard Ave, corner of Howard and Shepherd) April 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20. Showtime 8:00 PM (doors open 7:30). Tickets can be purchased online for $25 through postproductionswindsor.ca or at the door via the MNSi Box Office (cash, debit, or credit card) if seats are still available. Directed by Michael K. Potter. Produced by Fay Lynn & Michael K. Potter. Starring Mary Grace Weir and Cindy Pastorius. Presented in association with Windsor Feminist Theatre.

For more information about the cast, check out our blog post: Meet the Cast of The Anarchist

For tickets, visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-anarchist-by-david-mamet-tickets-865158611697?aff=oddtdtcreator