“For Julie, she was a commoner. There's literally no reason for us to know anything about her except for the fact that she broke rules,” says playwright Qui Nguyen (Vietgone) of the subject of his Revenge Song: A Vampire Cowboys Creation, making its world premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.
The historical comedy combines music, puppetry, swordfighting, hip-hop, and rock to tell the story of Julie d’Aubigny, a queer 17th-century French swordswoman and opera singer. The Geffen Playhouse commission examines the ways in which gender and sexuality blend together with the wild fun and superhero style of the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company, Nguyen’s Obie-winning company.
Robert Rosse Parker directs the production, which runs through March 8. In the exclusive video above, the cast and creators talk about their fascination with Julie as we see highlights from the new production.
The cast stars Margaret Odette as Julie and features Noshir Dalal, Beth Hawkes, Tom Myers, Amy Kim Waschke, and Eugene Young.
The production features work by scenic and lighting designer Nick Francone, costume designer Jessica Shay, composer and sound designer Shane Rettig, projection designers Kaitlin Pietras and Jason H. Thompson, puppet designer David Valentine, music director Ryan O'Connell, choreographer Stacy Dawson Stearns, fight directors Maggie Macdonald and Tim Brown, production stage manager Ross Jackson, assistant stage manager Lizzie Thompson, and casting director Phyllis Schuringa.
