THESE ROOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING
Three solo plays, one night, decades of voices.
Three original solo plays illuminate untold stories from history, reimagining the past and reigniting hope for the future. This collection of new works covers themes of queerness, feminism, bodily autonomy, gender roles, and activism throughout the 20th century. The Eye of Dawn is inspired by Mata Hari, a 1920s Dutch exotic dancer accused of espionage. Jumping to 1941, She is a fictional tale filled with tap dancing, sapphic waltzes, and undercover nuns, influenced by Sarah Water’s novel, Tipping the Velvet. Lesbians Eat Fire follows Joanne, a fictional character created from the lived experiences of the Lesbian Avengers and lesbian activists from the early 1990s.
The Eye of Dawn
When women’s stories are recorded, who gets the last word? Mata Hari is a woman caught between myth and truth, but The Eye of Dawn gives a voice to the multiplicity of her existence. Loosely inspired by Paulo Coelho’s The Spy, this monologue reconciles the exotic performer, accused traitor, and the femme fatale archetype. Within the four walls of a room, not one of her own, her narrative is told with flair, vulnerability, and edge. This is not a textbook account, but a take on her lived experience with a healthy serving of absurdism, irony, and well, now that we’re taking the stage anyway, show.
She
It’s 1941. London rains with bombs. A young woman named Nan works in an artillery factory by day and impersonates a Victorian gentleman by night. When she reunites with an old friend on the factory floor, the embers of their affection reignite. As the world burns around them, Nan must decide: Will she smother her desires or succumb to the inferno and risk it all for the one she truly loves? Inspired by Sarah Waters’s novel, Tipping the Velvet, She is a fictional tale filled with tap dancing, sapphic waltzes, undercover nuns, and gender fluidity, echoing historical accounts of queer love and yearning.
Lesbians Eat Fire
In 1995, AIDS hovers over New York City like a tsunami, threatening to sweep away and drown everything Lesbian Avenger Joanne knows. She’s lost her first love but yearns to keep her flame alive as desire, anger, joy, and danger collide. Lesbians Eat Fire asks what it means to carry the fire for those who came before us, how we survive when losing our anchor points, and how queer bodies continue to resist erasure. A story set to the sound of waves and protest blends embodied storytelling and archival memory. It’s a personal confession reflecting our collective history. Inspired by the lived histories of the Lesbian Avengers, Angels in America by Tony Kushner, and lesbian activism of the 1990s, this new play is about staying alive when hope feels impossible
Emily Wollenberg, Caro Vinden, and Isabel Hees are theatremakers and actors hailing from the United States, Norway, and the Netherlands. The three friends met through their master’s program at East 15 Acting School. Using poetry, physicality, song, and dance, the artists share culture, viewpoints, and knowledge from around the globe.
Unearthed Theatre Company is a London-based theatre collective of international artists and the creators of The Lesbians of Forest Gate. Through intentional research and honest storytelling, Unearthed strives to dig deeper and shed light on those often written out of history.
Written and Performed by Emily Wollenberg, Caro Vinden & Isabel Hees
Running time: Approx 70 minutes
Ages Guidance: Ages 16 and above
Contains bomb and gun sounds, strong language, fake blood, suggested nudity, suggested sexual violence, discussion of HIV/AID, homophobia & death.
