Lies of a Promiscuous Woman

Darker Bright Theatre—MTYP – Mainstage

Lies of a Promiscuous Woman is a narrative of feeling: what it feels like to be gifted by your parents to serve at the Temple at age three; what it feels like to fall in love; what it feels like to give birth to a beautiful baby; what it feels like to hold his lifeless body in your arms. The powerful feelings ground Mary’s story in the real, the visceral, the universal, while also drawing in biblical references and songs from Madonna to create a dialogue between the historical tragedy of a mother losing her son and a modern world that still sees young women as disposable.

Thomson’s second turn as Mary brings an extra edge: she carries the fiery defiance of one who has faced harassment and attempted silencing, and refused. This dimension gives Mary bite; her simmering righteous rage gives weight to her declarations that we all matter, the hope matters, and belief in the extreme is always dangerous. The Madonna chorus does a beautiful job to amplify the message, as does Koreen’s turn as a young woman seeking Mary’s intervention.

The weight of such a sorrowful story is balanced perfectly with Thomson’s wit, as cheeky jokes and one-liners gild the story, giving us respite and release to laugh and cry at a mother’s story of love and loss. We can remember that we can talk about politics and religion, but we shouldn’t take it all too seriously.

Christina Fawcett