Performances begin August 23 at Playwrights Horizons for Jaclyn Backhaus’ Wives. In her new comedy, the Men on Boats playwright continues to re-imagine history through a feminist lens, looking at the wives and paramours of Great Men throughout the ages and across the world.

Margot Bordelon directs a company made up of Purva Bedi (Dance Nation, India Pale Ale), Mahira Kakkar (Miss Witherspoon, The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui), Sathya Sridharan (India Pale Ale, Two Mile Hollow), and Adina Verson (Indecent, Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties).

Wives, as previously announced, kicks off Playwrights Horizons’ 2019–2020 season.

READ: Playwrights Horizons Unveils 2019–2020 Season

The new play traverses time and place, from the brawny castles of 16th century France, to the rugged plains of 1960s Idaho, to the strapping fortresses of 1920s India. In each setting, we’re introduced to the wives and paramours of Great Men—including King Henry II and Maharaja Madho Singh II—and shown what happens once the crushing weight of their Greatness has been lifted.

The creative team for Wives includes set designer Reid Thompson, costume designer Valérie Thérèse Bart, lighting designer Amith Chandrashaker, sound designer Kate Marvin, hair and wig designer J. Jared Janas, and production stage manager Erin Gioia Albrecht.