In Jean Genet’s The Maids, the title characters, sisters Claire (Lydia Wilson) and Solange (Phia Saban), dress up and rehearse the murder of their Madame (Yerin Ha).  Solange plays Claire and Claire plays Madame.  “Oh my god, Claire!” says Claire.  “You know you’re not allowed to touch my things without asking!  It’s disgusting!”  Of her own gloves: “they look like the sartorial equivalent of herpes.  Do you have hand herpes, Claire?  An infestation of hand herpes that you’ve now spread all over my things?  Disgusting!”  The role-playing allows her to be both sadistic and masochistic.  Before the lady of the house returns home, the sisters clean up, reset the room, and wipe off their makeup.  One night, Claire promises, they will really go through with it.

A new adaptation of The Maids—imported from Donmar Warehouse, written and directed by Kip Williams, and currently running at St. Ann’s Warehouse—pairs this scenario with modern social media culture.  All three characters use their phones to record their actions, to support a performance, or to assert power.  Their screens are projected on the wall behind them, their online personas imbued with greater size and visual power than the actors.  When they are not using filters to inflate their eyes or their lips, they do look more vulnerable up there, more naked than they do onstage, where the distance protects actors somewhat from our gaze.

The scenic design (Rosanna Vize) and the video design (Zakk Hein) are strong, as are the actors, in particular Ha, who alternates between abuse and enormous (though insincere) generosity; despite her small frame, she commandeers the room.  Nevertheless, as a whole, the production tends to sacrifice character to concept.  The use of social media is effective but tends to drown out the heart of the story: murder.  At no point was my blood pumping.

The Maids runs through June 14th at St. Ann’s Warehouse.  29 Jay Street  New York, NY.  1 hour 40 minutes.  No intermission. Photograph by Julieta Cervantes.