ENCORE MICHIGAN
‘Mrs. Fifty’ is a bold – and no holds barred – look at empowerment
“Mrs. Fifty’s National Bake-Off Winning Pepper Pie — like the story of her transformation from timid homemaker to tenacious entrepreneur – is not sweet. But it is scrumptiously satisfying. Ramsay-Detherage serves up a clever script that mixes baking with BDSM (Bondage, Dominance, Sadism, and Masochism). It’s hard to imagine how those themes could fold into one play – and more difficult still to imagine how it could be a comedy – but, somehow, this show pulls it off. A lot of heavy themes are baking in this short play about a tyrant getting his just desserts, but it somehow rises to the lightness of comedy in the way that the movie and play 9-to-5 does."
Theatre NOVA presents the world premiere of “Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie” by Linda Ramsay-Detherage. Stuck in an abusive marriage, a middle-aged 1960s housewife stumbles into a dominatrix’s session and discovers a source of personal power that surprises everyone around her. Bondage and baking mix in a hilariously twisted revenge fantasy as her alter-ego “Mrs. Fifty” doles out the punishment her husband deserves and helps her discover that a woman’s place isn’t just in the kitchen.
“Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie” features Sarah Burcon, Jeannine Thompson, and Patrick O'Leary and is directed by Daniel C. Walker. The production team includes Forrest Hejkal (scenic design), Carla Milarch (costume and sound design), and Michelle Resnick (stage manager).
June 1-24, 2018
Thu., Fri., and Sat. @ 8:00pm and Sun @ 2:00pm. ​
PULP: Arts Around Ann Arbor
Theatre NOVA’s "Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie" is a smart comedy about a serious issue.
“Detroit playwright Linda Ramsay-Detherage’s Mrs. Fifty Bakes a Pie is a whip-smart comedy just right for the #MeToo moment. Walker keeps things moving quickly with three actors who are adept at handling the sometimes raunchy and often hilarious comedy as well as some of the darker drama around domestic abuse. It’s the quick pace and the sudden jolts that give the play a good deal of energy. The production runs just over an hour and never drags or becomes repetitive. "