Review: 5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche

By: Sam Poteet'28

Photo courtesy of the New York Times

Walking into the Richmond Triangle Players production of “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche,” audiences are taken into the world of the Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein. The cohesive work of the set, stage, and production design made this transition possible. Simple acts, like adorning name tags declaring “Hello! My name is (insert widow name)” and crossing part of the stage set for the “Quiche Breakfast” to reach seats, created an environment where one felt like more than an average audience member or a seat number. 

“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche,” a play by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood set in 1956, follows the experiences of 5 women at their society’s annual Quiche Breakfast when communist attacks threaten their town. What ensues is a hilarious chain of events within the women’s group, from sexual revelations to pregnancy reveals to questions of humanity’s survival. A satire on security theater and sexuality norms, “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” offers an alternative view of life in a 1950s small town. 

The production design might seem simplistic, but this balance allowed the performance elements to be the show’s focus. Physical comedy was a major aspect. Ashely Thompson, playing the lesbian Ginny Cadbury, performed the quiche eating scene with a startling and hilarious commitment to her character and emotions. The use of body and vocal expression by Veronica “Vern” Schultz (Rachel Dillaplane) created a commanding and determined character, both in her role as a Buildings and Grounds Chairman and in her sexual innuendos. Vocal expression was championed by Dale Prist (Kendall Walker). Her monologue reflecting on her traumatic childhood came to life with her extreme skill for accents, switching from Appalachian to Midwestern to her natural voice effortlessly. 

Additionally, the authenticity of each character allowed the play to go beyond a slapstick comedy. In the Talk-Back, where actors reflected on their performances with the audience, actor Veronica “Vern” Schultz (Rachel Dillaplane) spoke on the careful comedic balance that she and all of the actors had to take with this specific play. It is a comedy, and the events that conspire are outrageously funny to watch and take in. However, some of these events are jarring to the characters of the play; they exist within the fictional outlandish world. None of the characters came out until the world exploded from the A-bomb, and they watched their friend sacrifice herself for the sake of an unborn child. The actors needed to stay authentic, acting out their genuine reactions to depict the sadness, bravery, and humanity present in the play. 

However, the play did fall flat in some areas. Ginny Cadbury (Ashley Thompson), while terrifically acting out her character’s emotional reactions and confusion surrounding the end of the world and her burgeoning sexuality, was not able to achieve the Manchester accent to which her character claims. The accent became more of a distraction rather than another layer of Ginny to learn about. The script also relies heavily on some basic lesbian stereotypes, with an emphasis on man-hating/fearing lesbians feeling overplayed and out of place. 

Richmond Triangle Players is a non-profit, professional theatre company that focuses on programs discussing queer experiences and uplifting queer artists. They are based in Richmond, Virginia, and have been active since 1993. Their Fall season featured “5 Lesbians Eating A Quiche” by Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood from September 11 to October 5, 2024. To learn more about this company or buy tickets for upcoming shows please visit their website here: https://rtriangle.org/experience/.