This is a Classic: The Expand the Canon Theatre Podcast Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre

If you’re looking for a whirling political drama centering a mother’s feminist awakening… consider this dreamlike exploration of familial ties and civic responsibility. Nearly two years after the killing of her son, Sujata continues to struggle with his involvement in the uprising that resulted in his death. She embarks on a journey to understand her son and in doing so comes to recognize her own oppression as a mother, wife, and woman. Reminiscent of Brecht’s The Mother, this powerful and deeply human play examines grief, love, and the cost of revolution.

Hosted by Gagarin and Kalina Ko
Monologue by Shubhra Prakash


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If you’re looking for an irreverent class comedy featuring a gritty female lead… consider this romp of mistaken identities by the 18th century master of dialogue, Hannah Brand. The willful and mischievous Adelinda is set to marry the wealthy Count D’Olstain – much to her weary parents’ relief. The only problem – Adelinda is already secretly married to a lowly servant! Schemes and mistaken identities abound, lost children are returned, and some snooty parents get a rightful scolding in this comical and quippy caper about the lengths we go to for a happily ever after. 

Hosted by Emily Lyon and Kalina Ko.
Edited by Steven Baek
Scene Performed by Madeline Egan Addis and Desireé Baxter



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If you’re looking for a tragi-comedy where the lyric insight of Virginia Woolf meets the electric cruelty of Hedda Gabler… consider this post-war portrait of a woman created and creating through destruction. Claire Archer attempts to transcend the constraints of modern life through the breeding of new plants, despite a literal Tom, Dick, and Harry trying to stop her. As the blossoming of her latest creation approaches, her sanity is called into question and tensions around her unique way of life explode. A piece that is by turns devastating philosophical portraiture, droll farce, and scathing feminist cry, The Verge comes together in a pressure cooker analysis of prescribed womanhood.
Hosted by Emily Lyon and Kalina Ko.
Edited by Daniel Opkara
Monologue performed by Gwen Kelso


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If you’re looking for a plot-twist-filled farce with bold schemes to fight prejudice… consider this comedy from the elusive Irish playwright, Alicia Sheridan Le Fanu. When the eldest daughter of an upper-class English family marries an Irishman, she is cast out and the whole family is thrown into disarray. But what if that Irishman comes back to prove himself to the family… disguised as a distinguished secretary? What secrets does he uncover? Can the family ever look past their own bias and reconcile? Full of comedic mix ups and shocking plot twists, Sons of Erin shines a light on the nonsensical nature of prejudice.
Hosted by Emily Lyon and Shannon Corenthin. Scene performed by Madeline Egan Addis and Sam Ogilvie. Edited by Erica Ricketts.
For more info on the Le Fanu family, visit: https://www.lefanus-online.org/history.html


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If you’re looking for a madcap Comedy of Errors with chaotic Gen-Z wit…consider this arch, rollicking take on love and freedom from German dramatist Charlotte Von Stein. Once upon a time, Menonda was happily in a relationship – until her brother, bent on destroying all romantic love, got between her and her beloved. Now, due to a mistaken kidnapping and several misplaced identities, she finds herself held captive under the same roof as both her jilted lover and her bumbling brother. Will the lovers reunite? Will the kidnapping be avenged? Does anyone know what’s going on? A confetti of comedy’s favorite pleasures served up with a healthy dose of camp, this is the perfect piece for any theater looking to engage a younger crowd in the classics.
Hosted by Gagarin and Shannon Corenthin.
Scene performed by Nazlah Black and Danielle Cohn.
Edited by Steven Baek. Dramaturgy by James La Bella.



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This season, we have 8 partner companies diving into our 2023 list with us and producing readings. We were honored to have 4 of our New York partners represented –– Jessie Austrian from Fiasco Theater, Nicola Murphy Dubey from Irish Repertory Theatre, Lou Moreno from INTAR Theater, and Devin Brain from The Acting Company. Director of Outreach and Development Triza Cox lead the panel, digging into the state of classic theatre and why this work is important. Recorded live at Caveat NYC on January 22, 2024, this is Part 2 of 2.


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