It is the second production in its 4th season, 21Ten Theatre presents the world premiere of “Madonna of the Cat” by veteran playwright Sue Mach. The storylines of  Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” are a jumping off point that explores the missing years of Hermione, the long-suffering wife of the King who is thought to be dead for 16 years. Sue Mach’s Madonna of the Cat is a play that explores themes of friendship, motherhood, and forgiveness, as well as empathy for a certain bear in reference to Shakespeare’s famous stage direction: “Exit, pursued by a bear.”  Dmae Lo Roberts visited the 21Ten Theatre and spoke with both Sue Mach and the director of the show, Gemma Whelan. 

In this podcast you’ll hear:

About writing a play during the pandemic:

Sue Mach: “ And, and it was in the pandemic when I wrote it too. So this, you know, we’re all in isolation and imagining this woman in isolation, it was really hard. That part of the play.  I’m writing a person in isolation. What does a person do on stage when you’re in isolation?

On filling in the missing years of Hermione in “The Winter’s Tale”…

Gemma Whalen: “ I love the idea of what these big spaces that sometimes appears in works in literature and what happened? And then Shakespeare’s play doesn’t say anything about that really. And I think, I mean, I would say Hermione is extremely shortchanged in Shakespeare, and I think Sue has remedied that in this play.”

Thoughts on opportunities for veteran women artists…

Sue Mach:  “There’s a wisdom that comes with experience. You start off when you’re young like that…the energy and the innovation of youth, but the, the wisdom of age is, is something that,I mean, I sound cliche just saying it because people say it all the time. It’s like we feel like, oh, I’ve gotten older. I feel like I have more to offer. I feel like I’m a little more grounded. And, but I don’t get the chance to, to say, to try it.”

On leaving the company you founded…

 Gemma Whalen: “I passed it on, it was coming outta the pandemic and I had, you know, personal reasons because of family and there was something about the 10 year mark coming up that I thought I was just ready for a change and I felt it was a good time to, to pass it on.  I don’t have regrets and I see it going on to become a different company and, and that’s okay.”

Madonna of the Cat
By Sue Mach
Directed by Gemma Whelan

Featuring actors Luisa Sermol, Bruce Burkhartsmeier, Maria Porter, Crystal Ann Muñoz, and Emma Greene.

November 1st – 23rd, 2025
Thursday – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Special Performances:
Pay-What-You-Will Previews: October 30th & 31st Learn more a 21ten.org/madonna
Ticket Prices: $30-$35 21ten.org/buy-tickets