Feminist foursome from The Marsh

The Marsh performance space has announced a return to live performances on Aug. 21, with a venue favorite, Don Reed, performing his new pandemicthemed show “Going Out.” But that doesn’t diminish our appreciation for The Marsh’s admirable efforts during the pandemic, when venue after venue was dark, to serve up a steady stream of compelling streaming shows, from solo theater performances to interviews and health and fitness demonstrations to Friday game nights with Josh Kornbluth.

Which brings us to Lynne Kaufman, the Bay Area playwright known for, among other things, her shows focusing on the lives of iconic women. The Marsh is offering four of her shows on demand. “Who Killed Sylvia Plath” finds the famed poet, who died by suicide at age 30, visiting her grave in England and addressing some of the momentous questions surrounding her life and death. “Exposing Margaret Mead” explores the anthropologist’s views on sexuality and feminism, which were more complicated than her detractors claimed. “Susan Sontag: The Smartest Woman in America” finds the author and intellectual facing tough questions about her career. And “Divine Madness” is built on the scandal-plagued marriage and divorce of writers Elizabeth Hardwick and Robert Lowell.

Details: $10-$100 per video (those who can afford it are asked to pay more); themarsh.org.

COURTESY OF LYNNE KAUFMAN Four of Bay Area playwright Lynne Kaufman’s plays are being offered on demand by The Marsh in San Francisco.