Onstage, ‘Designing Women’ Sheds the Shoulder Pads, Not Its Politics

The program’s themes weren’t always progressive. The only other person of colour in the show, outside Anthony Bouvier (played by Meshach Taylor), had a small part in the cast. It gave its characters a variety of viewpoints because it insisted that not all experiences of women were the same.

Onstage, ‘Designing Women’ Sheds the Shoulder Pads, Not Its Politics

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Onstage, ‘Designing Women’ Sheds the Shoulder Pads, Not Its Politics

If this show’s characters had been described as a logline, they could have come out as stereotypical: tough as nails, bimbo, pragmatic, and naïve. They weren’t at all stereotypical, though, as the actors who played them all demonstrated. They stood by each other as they battled.

As a result, “Designing Women” is more than just a popular movie that has been given a new look. It served as a visually appealing representation of women from different political philosophies due to its function in the television medium.

It’s Even More Obvious Now.

If the characters are still able to communicate with one another during the play’s run, the audience may be able to carry on these conversations offstage, whether or not the players are onstage.

TheaterSquared started writing the play this year after announcing it in early 2020, and Bloodworth-Thomason eventually accumulated around 7,000 pages of material. (It appeared as though those voices were unable to stop speaking.)

The September draught made mention to Julia’s well-known “the lights went out in Georgia” speech, which showcased her flawless delivery and rapier wit, for her ardent admirers.

Even though Black and gay Anthony’s cousin Cleo is now a co-owner of the business, the feminism isn’t very intersectional (Carla Renata). However, the politics of the play have been revised. First-line temperature checks for clients are demonstrated by Julia (Kim Matula), a new receptionist, to Hayley (Kim Matula).

If they refuse, Julia says, “Kick ’em out.” Never allow someone wearing a MAGA hat inside the building. In the background, a voice mail message accuses Julia of lying and names her a “socialist slut.”

Bloodworth-Thomason believes the production will travel the South before making its way to Broadway. These kinds of exchanges are why she and Thomason choose TheaterSquared for the audition.

Last Words

Trump narrowly defeated Hillary Clinton by a vote of 50.39 percent to 46.49 percent in Washington County, which encompasses Fayetteville, in the 2020 election, and the theatre draws a varied group of patrons who don’t all support the same candidate.