With Women's History Month in full swing, Trustus Theatre's latest show is all about friendship, feminism and history.
"5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche" follows five women as they enjoy each other's company while avoiding the stress of their daily lives.The play takes place in 1956 as the women gather to have fun and eat a quiche breakfast.
Katie Mixon is performing in this play for the third time, she said, and she loves her character so much that she flew 9,000 miles from Thailand to reprise the role.
"This play is hilarious. It was created out of improvisation games by the playwrights and actors in Chicago. It’s fun, quirky, energetic and one of the most enjoyable shows ever," Mixon said in an email interview.
Mixon portrays Ginny, a character who has the tendency to get nervous and overly excited. Although the character is British, she has found her home in America and just wants to fit in with the other women.
"Ginny really is exactly who you see. She doesn’t hide trying to be one of the girls, she’s enthralled with everything she witnesses and simply shows her joy," Mixon said.
Along with Ginny, there is another fun-loving spirit named Dale. Dale is played by Emily Meadows who described her character as childlike, quirky and unpredictable.
"This character has a history I can definitely relate to and an inner strength that is inspiring," Meadows said in an email interview.
While there are lighthearted and quirkier characters like Ginny and Dale, some of the other characters represent a more stereotypical version of feminists in the 1950s.
Lulie, played by Krista Forster, is the president of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein and is composed and level-headed.
"I see Lulie as an exaggerated mix of controlling Scout Leader and Happy Hostess, with a dash of Martha Stewart's love for all things proper and perfect," Forster said in an email interview.
There is also Vern, a confident woman who is not afraid to make herself heard. She's played by Jennifer Hill, who said she finds the more masculine woman of the group admirable.
"Vern is a renaissance woman, she can do it all. She's strong, confident and commanding, but also playful," Hill said in an email interview.
With such a variety of characters with distinct personalities, some actors said that they have run into challenges trying to effectively portray them.
"You'd think the biggest challenge would be the 9000 mile flight from Thailand, but that was worth it!" Mixon said. "My challenge might be eating the entire quiche on stage every night. Without ruining my makeup!"
While the audience doesn't get to eat quiche, the cast and crew still wanted them to feel included. To encourage this, everyone is given a name tag as if they, too, are a part of the quiche breakfast.
More than anything, Mixon said she hopes the audience laughs as loudly and freely as they please because the cast has had such a good time working on the show.
"Columbia needs a fun loving girl power show. That’s what this is," Mixon said.
The show premieres on March 8 and will run until March 17.