Nancy
Produced by Mosaic Theatre company
By Rhiana Yazzie
Directed by Ken-Matt Martin
Misha Kachman (Set Design)
Moyenda Kulemeka (Costume Design)
Larry Peterson (Wig Design)
Sherrice Mojgani (Lighting)
Navid Azeez (Sound)
Chelsea Dean (Properties)
Hailey LaRoe (Projections Designer)
Sierra Young (Fight & Intimacy Director)
Chelsea Radigan (Dramaturgy & Casting Director)
Victor Vazquez (Casting).
Shayne O’Neill (Production Stage Manager)
It’s 1985 in Washington, DC and two women are trying to steer their futures—Nancy Reagan from the White House, orchestrating her husband “Ronnie’s” political career according to daily astrological trends, and Esmeralda, a Navajo mother advocating for her community. Their worlds converge over an unbelievable discovery—Nancy has a direct familial connection to Pocahontas. Strange history collides with 80s nostalgia in this epic story that cuts through the veneer of shoulder pads, neon, and Van Halen with irreverent heart and deep empathy. Award-winning playwright Rhiana Yazzie makes her East Coast premiere with a very DC play about ancestry and ambition.
Reviews
“The scenic design by Misha Kachman, projections by Hailey LaRoe, lighting design by Sherrice Mojgani, and sound design by Navi all fit with the show’s ambitious task of satirizing the ’80s, politics, and contemporary conversations about privilege and right while telling two parallel storylines.”
“Above Nancy’s giant, painted eyes, small TVs play relevant news clips and videos that aim to connect the national news to Nancy’s and Esmeralda’s respective lives. Scene transitions are often psychedelic projections of moving lights, space, stars, and astrology symbols projected onto the forehead, or the mind, of Nancy herself. Fun ’80s music often accompanies those transitions alongside colored lights and sometimes music videos, projected onto Nancy’s mind as well.”
“the designers… do justice to story and era. The likenesses of the Reagans that stare out over Misha Kachman’s set add to the mood of political fever dream, while a representation of a Navajo sand painting, suspended over the stage, provides perspective. Hailey LaRoe’s bustling projections (rock-star footage, cascading astrological imagery and more) suit the decade that birthed MTV, and costume designer Moyenda Kulemeka does a smashing job with the first lady’s decorous outfits.”
“There is a great deal to take in with this production. The set design by Misha Kachman, lighting by Sherrice Mojgani, sound design by Navi, and projections by Hailey LaRoe are appropriately over-the-top, adding much to the satirical vibe. Costumes and wigs (Moyenda Kulemeka and Larry Peterson) are in and of themselves characters here. It’s the eighties after all, and why not have some fun with it.”