production photo by Mark Garvin
Obie Award-winning play Hurricane Diane by Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George is a comedic story set in a New Jersey cul-de-sac where Diane (played by Rami Margron) is a gardener…with supernatural powers and a secret identity. George, also a writer and executive producer of the Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-nominated Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building, introduces Diane and a clique of four housewives, to the People’s Light audience for a unique look at suburban drama, Greek mythology, and a reminder to take care of our planet.
Below, People’s Light’s Associate Producing Director Molly Rosa Houlahan talks about growing near the theatre, her goals for People’s Light, and why she chose Hurricane Diane as her directorial debut with the company.
More info and tickets here.
Q: Hurricane Diane is described as “a comedic romp with a mythological twist”…without giving away any juicy details, can you expand on that description? How would you explain this show to someone to draw them in?
A: Hurricane Diane is a new play about the Greek god Dionysus coming back to earth in the form of a permaculture gardener, Diane. Diane is setting out to save the world from climate change by initiating four suburban New Jersey housewives as acolytes to her mystery cult, just like she did in the ancient days.
Q: Why did you think this play would be a good fit for People Light’s 2023-2024 season? Why did you want to direct it?
A: I grew up 15 minutes from People’s Light from age 3 until 18. When searching for my first play to direct back in my hometown, I was immediately drawn to Hurricane Diane. I recognized the women in this play as ones I grew up with – fierce, funny, smart, and incredibly complicated women who stubbornly made their world in their own image for better or for worse. Combining this with the sheer theatricality of this story, the epicness of its scale, and the wildness of its appetite, it called out as a thrilling invitation to stir the pot a little in my hometown community. This play is a delightful challenge to turn a critical eye to our own worst habits and potentially indulge in the wild, wicked catharsis that awaits.
Q: You have experience directing productions at theatre companies across the US, what’s one piece of advice you always carry with you when working on a new show?
A: The big advice I always take with me is to stand in the unknown as long as you can. It’s essential to withstand the discomfort of not having an answer to everything as you direct. Let your answers be drafts, versions, queries or wonders. This allows for the most growth as you build your story with your team.
Q: Is there a specific character or plot point in Hurricane Diane that you especially resonate with and why?
A: My wife always says that to be queer is to hold a light up to the world to show another way of being. I resonate with this play in the evolution and catharsis the women go through: to live in a restrictive suburban veneer of control only to have your world upturned by the luminous light of a different way of being and thinking. I hope this play offers delightful, wicked humor and wild catharsis to those looking to release some of that veneer.
Q: You grew up near People’s Light. Do you remember your first experience there?
A: My earliest memories of People’s Light are taking classes here. I took a class in the Alexander Technique, learning about how to exist inside your body with ease to be more present and open as an actor. I also took a class where we each selected a historical figure to generate a solo piece about. I picked Deborah Sampson, a hero of the American Revolution who disguised herself as a man and joined the Patriot forces. I remember most that the classes of People’s Light were unlike any I had taken anywhere else – they encouraged you to think about yourself as a citizen of society, not just an artist as you created.
Q: As Associate Producing Director, can you talk a bit about your goals with People’s Light?
A: I was drawn to People’s Light due to its incredibly unique location. It is where the oceans meet – within driving distance of rural, suburban, and urban communities. From West Chester to Kennett Square to Reading to the Main Line – there are enormously different populations inhabiting the surrounding area. For me, that represented a rare opportunity to foster conversation across people from very different backgrounds. In this deeply purple district, you can see a bellwether for the country. The promise of theater is communing and conversation. My hope as Associate Producing Director is to continue to foster an environment of exactly that: communing and conversation. I hope this moves the needle towards connection and change.
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from Hurricane Diane?
A: I hope that audiences leave with a compelling cocktail of emotions including entertained, reflective, and moved. I hope audiences are enticed by the invitation to laugh and revel in the bacchanalian catharsis. I hope they are encouraged to reflect a little on their own worst habits. And I hope audiences leave with a little spark to think about how we can all take care of the planet we live in a little more.
Brenda on Broad 
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