Join us for our final Staged Reading of 2025: Jen Silverman’s THE MOORS, directed by David Wintersteen.

A new governess arrives at the parsonage of a lonely house on the moors where two sisters and a housekeeper live. The elder sister is practical, cutting and sarcastic. The younger sister is artistic, romantic and idealistic. The no-nonsense housekeeper is just trying to get the work of running a large household done. The new governess is a normal person trying to navigate a very strange situation.

The governess has been hired to take care of a child, but no child appears. The sisters and housekeeper all vie for control of the house and its inhabitants–which may or may not also include a dissolute brother. Meanwhile, the dog and bird try to navigate a cross-species relationship that may or may not be a metaphor.

The theatricality of the piece invites magic and mayhem. The animals talk to each other (and to the audience), but not to the humans. The house has many rooms, but all have the same furniture (so no set changes). Late in the play a shocking piece of violence is followed by a karaoke heavy metal ballad. One surprise follows another through to a conclusion that is simultaneously unexpected and satisfying.