THE STORY: As the play begins we are in Hollywood, where a failed author has been offered a contract to write a film on the life and loves of Isadora Duncan. Reluctant at first, he decides to go ahead with the project, and as he creates the various scenes which will in time become the movie, these are acted out by the real-life participants—including Stanislavsky, Walt Whitman, Rodin, Gordon Craig and, of course, Isadora herself. As he probes ever more deeply into the marriages, lovers, and often shocking exploits of her life, the writer comes to regard Isadora as the first modern woman: totally free and unfettered by convention. But, inevitably, the demands of Hollywood must be met, and the truth distorted by the realities of the box office. The result is a pitched battle between the now dedicated author and the crass producer—a battle which yields scenes of colorful action and wild hilarity, but which, in the final essence, serves to enhance the timeless image of this uninhibited, deeply creative, and undeniably great artist.
A lively, colorful, madcap entertainment which uses the singular career of the great dancer to point up some very important and unchanging truths.
“Mr. Wanshel’s comedy—and he is a very funny writer—is original and elusive…” —The New Yorker.
“…the fun he makes is affectionate and not mocking and, naturally, Isadora has the last laugh.” —The New York Times.
“A piece of midwinter’s madness…” —The Hollywood Reporter.
