Last year’s deal between Audible Inc. and Minetta Lane has proven very advantageous for women-led projects. The partnership, which allows the spoken-word entertainment company to produce live plays and others works at the New York-based theater, kicked off with a production of “Girls and Boys” starring Carey Mulligan, and has since featured other female creatives such as Judith Light, Patti Smith, and Kate Del Castillo.
Per Playbill, Audible has now added two more women-helmed projects to its Minetta Lane slate. September’s lineup includes Margaret Trudeau’s “Certain Woman of an Age” and Diana Nyad’s “The Swimmer.”
Co-written by Alix Sobler and directed by Kimberly Senior, “Certain Woman of an Age” delves into the life of Margaret Trudeau, mental health advocate and mother of Canada’s current Prime Minister. Playbill describes the solo show as a “portrait of motherhood, marriage, life-altering tragedy, and personal triumph.”
“The Swimmer,” written by the athlete herself, is an in-depth look at Nyad’s swimming career and her record-breaking accomplishments. In 2013, the then 64-year-old became the first person to make the 111-mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. “The Swimmer” also features her longtime coach, Bonnie Stoll. Emmy Award winner Jane Anderson, writer of “The Wife,” directs.
“These two incredibly strong and inspirational women are invaluable additions to the Audible Theater collection of captivating performances driven by language and voice,” says Audible Theater’s artistic producer Kate Navin. “They’ve each overcome insurmountable odds and their stories, delivered in their own powerful words, demonstrate exactly the kind of unforgettable productions that we at Audible are so passionate about sharing with the world.”
As we’ve previously reported, Audible, alongside Annette Bening, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, and theater director Leigh Silverman, has established a $5 million theater fund dedicated to commissioning works from emerging playwrights. The company is also working with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine to exclusively co-produce memoirs featuring female protagonists.
“Certain Woman of an Age” hits Minetta Lane September 12-14. “The Swimmer: The Diana Nyad Story” will play September 26-28. Each will be recorded live as Audible Original productions and will be available to Audible listeners shortly thereafter.
