‘Zelda’ appears at Langley’s WICA

Whidbey Island Center for the Arts presents “Zelda” in its newest series, “Fast and Furious / Down and Dirty,” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28 at WICA, 565 Camano Ave., in Langley.

Denise Paulette plays Zelda Fitzgerald, wife of novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, in William Luce’s one-woman play.

“Zelda possessed a brilliant, schizophrenic mind,” Luce said. “She was exciting, original, witty, talented and tormented. And her life was not all tragedy. That was the public cliché, the legend not the reality. Even though she was confined to institutions, her dignity held and there was a kind of heroism in her. No self pity, no wistful yearnings for lost Utopias. She was a lady with pride and guts.”

According to her granddaughter, Eleanor, Zelda’s life was complex and compelling. Her aspiration to independence and creativity expressed in dance, in writing and especially in painting — and her agreement to subordinate her claim to her own autobiographical material to her husband, have made her almost a cult figure in the feminist movement. Zelda’s long battle with mental illness makes her story even more poignant.

“Fast and Furious” is a new program that supports the evolution of projects and collaborations not possible under the constraints of WICA’s main stage programming.

Tickets are $10, with proceeds funding the lighting and sound equipment needed to finish Zech Hall. They are available from www.WICAonline.com or by calling 360-221-8268 or 800-638-7631.

Show time

Tickets for WICA’s newest series, “Fast and Furious / Down and Dirty, cost $10 and are available by calling 800-638-7631.

 

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.