The Curious case of Albert Cashier
QUINTESSENCE Theatre’s latest production The Curious Case of Albert Cashier: Lincoln’s ‘Lady’ Soldier will run at the Droichead Arts Centre during the first week in March.
THE production, which explores the extraordinary life of Albert Cashier, who was born Jenny Hodgers in Clogherhead and went on to fight in the Union army during the American civil war.
Following on from their experimental work in progress Boy, Girl, Repeat here in July, and their production of #Me Too, Three, Four… is Quintessence’s final production in their Hear Me Roar: Women, Gender, and Silence programme as Theatre Company in Residence 2019/20 at Droichead Arts Centre.
Previously resident in An Táin, Dundalk, for the past four years, the company have devised and produced a body of exciting and engaging work to date, including Cracks, and The Star of Chester’s Lane. This new programme of work is dedicated to women’s voices and stories, now and historically. Through doing so, they examine the smothering inhibitions strict gender dichotomies and control places on women and, by consequence, transgender people and men too.
Belvidere, Illinois, 1862: A young Irishman, Albert D. J. Cashier, enlists with the Union Army in the Civil War, and becomes a decorated hero. But unknown to his comrades Private Cashier is waging an internal war all of his own. When he is fifty years a veteran, an indiscreet doctor reveals to America that Cashier was actually born a woman: Jennie Hodgers, of Clogherhead, Co. Louth. From that day on Albert’s greatest battle truly begins: for identity, selfhood, and truth. In this new play, devised by the company, Quintessence Theatre use their innovative physical ensemble story-telling techniques to create an original dramatization of the incredible true story of the Clogherhead born transgender soldier.
The Curious Case of Albert Cashier will Preview on Wednesday, March 4th at 8pm and will continue on the 5th, 6th and 7th.
Tickets are priced at €16/€14.