Director's Note from THE EXCAVATION OF MARY ANNING

The Excavation of Mary Anning first came to my attention in 2018 at The Ashland New Play Festival. Playwright Ian August’s work stood out to me as being so much fun – zany, poignant, relevant, and there were puppets and talking dogs! So when the Saint Mary’s Theatre Program was looking for a show that featured apt challenges (dialects/accents, puppetry skills, stylized scenes, caricatures, comedic timing, stunt work, and a song) I thought of this piece. This “historical fantasia” is a mishmash of styles and themes that weave together to tell the tale of real fossil hunter and paleontologist Mary Anning. With her dog, Tray, forever at her side, Mary became famous in England and beyond for her discoveries of the Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaurus, Pterosaurs, fish fossils, and other aquatic fossilized creatures. Although she was an avid church-goer and devout Christian herself, Mary’s discoveries rocked the church of England and the well-held belief at the time that the earth was created in 6 days. Not only were these discoveries earth-shattering (literally), they were all made by a woman – an unmarried, independent, possibly Queer, non-corset-wearing woman! 

Beyond the historical framework in which our play is set, this show allows the actors to explore some outlandish characters. Deviating from their real life stories, most of these characters are informed by Mary’s perception or opinion about them. They are written as larger-than-life, zany caricatures used as a device to move the plot. With the exception of her best friend, Elizabeth, and dog, Tray, everyone else in Mary’s world feels impossibly ridiculous to her. They aren’t digging in the mud and earth, so they aren’t tethered to reality. It becomes both fun and challenging to inhabit such caricatures as actors in training. Traditional acting training teaches students, above all else, to be believable. To caricature something is to exaggerate or distort it, or certain aspects of it, to grotesque or comedic effect. This caricaturing asks students to step out of what they have been taught and to embrace a highly stylized type of acting. In our play, Mary walks through the world with these carnival-like caricatures surrounding her every move. She is constantly seeking validation from these characters, wanting to be seen and noticed for her accomplishments. However, Mary seldom realizes how much she is not seeing them for who they truly are, but rather seeing them as part of this circus. It isn’t until her discoveries come back to life to philosophize with her that Mary begins to realize her perception of the world can change… and should. Mary learns that she is capable of changing her reality through release. She may never get the validation she seeks from the men of the geological society, but she can choose to see the world around her in a new light and choose to value the people around her instead of this unreachable goal. She can become the person she wanted to help her as a child. And in this acceptance, there is joy. Maybe, Mary thinks, one day in the future, people will write books about her and her discoveries. Maybe, beyond that, someone will write a brilliant play about her and one version of her life that could have been. Maybe, some passionate people will perform it at a college. I often wonder what Mary would make of all this. I like to think she’d have a laugh, then tell us we don’t have the right number of vertebrae in the Plesiosaur skeleton.

Tickets & Times for November 1–3, 8–10

Please note: The program, which includes the full list of invaluable cast and crew, will be posted on stmarys-ca.edu/mary-anning by Oct. 31.

All performances will be performed in LeFevre Theatre, Friday through Sunday, November 1–3 and November 8–10. Tickets are $10–20 and can be ordered online: https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/mary-anning 

Prospective SMC students for Fall ’25: Look for the form on the above link for a FREE ticket.

Saint Mary's students in Seminar 250, 304, 327, 350 & 374: Look for the form on the above  link for discounted tickets.

ADA/Info: (925) 631-4670

Performances: 

Friday, November 1 | 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 2 | 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 3 | 2 p.m. (Inclusive/COVID-safe matinee where the audience will mask. Please bring your own COVID mask that covers your mouth and nose.)

Friday, November 8 | 4 p.m. (post-show discussion with Science professor Nekesha Williams)

Saturday, November 9 | 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 10 | 2 p.m.