Three Somebodies: Plays about Notorious Dissidents

A trio of compelling, cutting edge plays on notorious rebels including radical feminist and Warhol attacker Valerie Solanas ("SCUM: The Valerie Solanas Story"), Dada instigator Arthur Cravan ("Art Was Here"), and a twisting tale of Jack the Ripper and T.S. Eliot ("Jack the Rapper"). Playwright Kat Georges paints each of these plays with bold, innovative strokes that expand the boundaries of the theatrical milieu. As compelling to read off the page as to perform, these three plays offer sharp dialogue and prismatic views of their rebellious subjects, casting aside stereotypical bullet-pointed personalities to establish new perspectives on the subjects of each play. 

In THREE SOMEBODIES: Plays About Notorious Dissidents, poet-playwright Kat Georges offers a trio of fascinating, cutting edge plays about notorious dissidents—people who shook up the world— for better or worse, including “SCUM: The Valerie Solanas Story,” “Art Was Here,” inspired by poet-pugilist and Dada precursor Arthur Cravan, and “Jack the Rapper,” a mash-up of Jack the Ripper and T. S. Eliot. 

Shakespeare had his kings and princes. Georges chose royalty of the infamous variety: Valerie Solanas, author of The SCUM Manifesto, who famously shot Andy Warhol. Arthur Cravan—nephew of Oscar Wilde, wild child pugilist and poet—whose legendary antics preceded and influenced the Dada movement. Jack the Ripper as sculpted through the words of Eliot’s poem “Rhapsody on a Windy Night.”

All three plays received their world premieres at San Francisco’s notorious Marilyn Monroe Memorial Theater, known for its focus on “demolished texts, deconstructed classics, and new works.” As such, the plays in THREE SOMEBODIES are not representative of standard “bio-dramas.” rather these are stripped down, twisted, juxtaposed, hard-bent works intensity designed to bring each subjects life three-dimensional portraits, examine particular personas from inside out. They refused be handcuffed by linear drama so they roar in twists shouts, psychedelic tremors, whirlwind ebullience. 

Playwright Georges paints each of these plays with bold, innovative strokes that expand the boundaries of the theatrical milieu. As compelling to read off the page as to perform, these three plays offer sharp dialogue and prismatic views of their rebellious subjects, casting aside stereotypical, bullet-pointed personalities to establish new perspectives on their subjects.