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QUEEN OF BASEL
Queen of Basel at Studio Theatre is a powerful searing work that cuts to the core of the emotional underpinnings that destroy both an individual and society.
While playwright Hilary Bettis owes some structure and story points to the August Strindberg’s Miss Julie— such as the the three characters and the setting in a kitchen of a lavish establishment—this is a throughly modern piece which goes beyond class and desire of his 1888 classic  to adds race and ethnicity, skin color and immigration status to the mix.
Julie (Christy Escobar) is the smart seductive socialite daughter of real estate developer of  the luxury South Beach hotel.  She is hushed off to the small industrial kitchen after an accidental encounter of alcohol spilt on her dress. 
Christine (Dalia Davi) is a struggling cocktail waitress who has recently escaped  violence in Venezuela.  She has been tasked by Julie’s father, along with promises to help her out of desperate situation,  to get Julie home.
John (Andy Lucien) is her streetwise boyfriend, a first generation Cuban-American Uber driver.  He has been summoned by Christine to take Julie home. 
These are the characters on the stage.  There are other characters—the ghosts for the story—Julie’s controlling father, her dead mother, Christine’s young daughter, Jean’s imprisoned father—all who are ruthlessly pulling heart strings of these characters like marionettes. 
Stripped of the glitter of the outside world, each character unloads three different profoundly human experiences we can relate to in this emotional roller coaster paced drama. 
A superb production that misses none of the details either in what we see on stage or what lurks in the complexities of our hearts.
Photo credit: Andy Lucien, Dalia Davi, and Christy Escobar in Queen of Basel. Photo: C. Stanley Photography
Queen of Basel  at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th st. NW, until April 7,  2019. 

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