Fans of the legendary heroine Wonder Woman may be well versed in trivia of the DC Comics universe, but even the most devoted comic book geek may not know that there's a lot more to her history than meets the eye.
Students from the ASU School of Film, Dance and Theatre will take the stage at Lyceum Theatre Feb. 12-21 to perform "Lasso of Truth," a play that weaves together several storylines to tell the tale of Wonder Woman's roots and the turbulent life of the man who created her.
The show recounts the true history of William Moulton Marston, the eccentric Harvard graduate who invented the predecessor to the modern lie detector, enjoyed a polyamorous BDSM relationship with his wife and a former-student-turned-lover and created a superhero based on the two women who turned out to be one of the most popular feminist icons of the twentieth century.
"Lasso of Truth" also follows the story of two Wonder Woman fans in the 1990s and the way the classic heroine impacted their generation of young, impressionable geeks looking for a strong female role model.
Interwoven with those narratives is a dramatization of Gloria Steinem narrating her work in the resurgence of Wonder Woman's charm and appeal as the cover model for a 1972 issue of Ms. magazine.
The title of the production, "Lasso of Truth," refers not only to the eponymous weapon that Wonder Woman used to force her enemies to reveal the truth, but also the parallels between her lasso and Marston's efforts to create a working lie detector. The concept of truth is a major theme in the work that ties together the three main storylines.
Director Pamela Fields said the play addresses many intellectual topics, including sex, society, feminism and empowerment. But, she added, the play is more than just a lecture.
"I mean, we don't call it entertainment for nothing," Fields said. "We want the audience to walk out feeling like they've been entertained and stimulated artistically, intellectually and emotionally in all the ways that theater can touch us."
She said her main challenge as a director has been to combine all the elements of the play in a way that honors playwright Carson Kreitzer's original intent, then to share that vision with the cast and crew in a truly collaborative effort.
Fields has ample experience in the performing arts scene. She was the theater arts director at
However, this is her first time directing a Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts production.
"I feel so blessed to be working with such talented, devoted and motivated students," she said. "Gosh, I just love them all! They're giving everything, and it's such a pleasure to be working on a university campus. I taught for a really long time, and working with students is like coming home to me. It's been incredibly challenging but incredibly rewarding."
Behind the Scenes: Lasso of Truth"Lasso of Truth" opens Friday, Feb. 12 and runs through Sunday, Feb. 21 at ASU's Lyceum Theatre! Tickets here: http://bit.ly/1W8qomp
Posted by ASU School of Film, Dance and Theatre on Tuesday, February 9, 2016
The challenges and rewards of portraying the history and impact of Wonder Woman's story are what drew many student actors to the production.
Theater senior Jessica Morgan plays Marston's former student and teaching assistant who slowly becomes not only his lover but a part of his marriage.
"The play had a lot of hype because of Wonder Woman, but in reading the script I realized there was a lot more to the story," Morgan said. "(The play includes) a long history of feminist movements. It talks about where we were then, how far we've grown and seeing how far we've come. Have we made more progress? That was really interesting to me, to look at the past of feminism and compare it to the future and where we are now."
Theater junior Samantha Taylor plays Marston's wife in the show. She said the little-known history of the famous superhero is what made the play appealing to her.
"Before this production I didn't know a lot about Wonder Woman, but I did know that she was an icon and an epitome of strength, and it spoke to me," she said.
"There are scenes within the play — not many, but a couple — where we do tap into their personal life," she said. "They have a polyamorous relationship, and their interest is also in kinks and BDSM."
In order to accurately and safely portray the scenes that included bondage and intimacy, the team brought on Chelsea Pace, an ASU alumna and current
Pace, who works in both fight and intimacy choreography, said her focus in choreographing the scenes was the power dynamic between the characters.
"The actual bondage is fairly minimal," she said. "The thing that's intimate, that's sexy, is the power play between the characters, which is kinky but it's not sex. It's about negotiating the power."
She described her role in the production as "taking the weird" out of the intimate scenes.
"It's about putting the actors at ease and reminding them that they don't have to be sexy," Pace said. "Being sexy is a very particular thing ... but not all sex is sexy. All you can do is connect with each other and tell a physical story."
The play opens on-campus Feb. 12 at the Lyceum Theatre. Tickets can be purchased from the Herberger website.
Related Links:
'Becoming Dr. Ruth' to bring the life of WWII survivor, sex therapist to Herberger stage
Herberger Theater stages 'Disgraced,' poses questions of U.S. race and identity
Reach the reporter at skylar.mason@asu.edu or follow @skylarmason42 on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
