Women's Roles

The internationally known Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood has written award-winning poetry, short-stories and novels, including The Circle Game (1966), The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), The Blind Assassin (2000), Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Tent (2006). Her works have been translated into an array of different languages and seen several screen adaptations, with both Handmaid's Tale and Alias Grace becoming miniseries in 2017. Recent books are: Stone Mattress (2014), a collection of short stories; MaddAddam (2013), concluding the dystopian trilogy started with Oryx and Crake (2003) and The Year of the Flood (2009); The Heart Goes Last (2015) and Hag-Seed (2016). In 2011, she published a book of essays about science-fiction, entitled In Other Worlds: Science Fiction and The Human Imagination.

Atwood has excellent street cred as a feminist. So she’s allowed to poke a little fun at political correctness, which she does in “There Was Once.” This short short is performed by Jane Kaczmarek, Rene Auberjonois, and Zach Grenier.

The second story on this program is by the late Finnish writer Tove Jansson. Jansson (1914-2001) was a prolific writer and illustrator, best known as the creator of the Moomin children’s book series. She was the recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal specifically for her contributions to children’s literature. Jansson authored five novels and seven short story collections aimed at older audiences. Her stories have been translated into 45 languages, making them the most widely translated works of Finnish literature. Jansson is also known for her work as a painter; during her lifetime she was commissioned for numerous public works of art in Finland, her home country, and her art has been featured in exhibitions at museums in Finland and Japan.

In “A Leading Role," an actress is offered a prestigious but unsympathetic part. She feels she has nothing in common with the character, but she knows someone who does.

Jane Kaczmarek is the reader. Kaczmarek is best known for her role as Lois on Malcolm in the Middle, for which she received 7 consecutive Emmy nominations as well as nominations for the Golden Globe and SAG Awards. Other screen and television credits include The Paper Chase and Hill Street Blues as well as Playing House, 6 Balloons, and This Is Us, among others. In New York, Kaczmarek has appeared on Broadway and off at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, the Public Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, where she will return this summer. Her recent theater credits include in Long Day's Journey Into Night,Our Town with Deaf West Theatre, and The Year to Come at La Jolla Playhouse.

Our final story, “Treasure State,” by Smith Henderson, is a harshly comic road trip tale. Two teenage brothers are running away from home, but they didn't plan on the feisty young woman who hitches a ride with them.

Henderson is an award-winning writer whose works include Fourth of July Creek, a 2014 New York Times Notable Book. His short story, “Number Stations” won a Pushcart Prize. Henderson’s short fiction has appeared in anthologies and journals such as Tin House,American Short Fiction,One Story,New Orleans Review,Witness, and Makeout Creek. An accomplished screenwriter, Henderson co-wrote the film Dance with the One and is a regular contributor to the AMC series The Son.

Smith now lives in Los Angeles, California, but you can hear his Montana roots in "Treasure State."

“Treasure State” reader Michael Shannon has appeared in films including “Groundhog Day,” “Pearl Habor,” “The Iceman,” “Revolutionary Road,” “The Shape of Water,” and “Nocturnal Animals,” among others. On television he appeared for four seasons on “Broadwalk Empire.” Other work on television includes “Waco,” and “Little Drummer Girl.” His many stage credits include “Grace,” “ Mistakes Were Made,” and “Uncle Vanya.”