Full Breakdown
Kip Williams’ Video-Heavy Revival of Jean Genet’s *The Maids* at St. Ann’s Warehouse
5/27/2026, 6:09:28 AM
Production Overview
Kip Williams’ new staging of Jean Genet’s 1947 drama *The Maids* opened at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn on May 17, following a limited run at London’s Donmar Warehouse. The production runs through June 14. Set designer Rosanna Vize created a 13-foot mirrored wardrobe that doubles as a live-feed screen, while lighting designer Jon Clark and video designer Zakk Hein integrate real-time smartphone streams and Snapchat-style filters. Costumes are by Marg Horwell.
Creative Team and Cast
- Director: Kip Williams (Australian, 39), known for the video-intensive Broadway adaptation of *The Picture of Dorian Gray*.
- Lead Actors: Lydia Wilson as Claire, Phia Saban as Solonde, and Yerin Ha (from *Bridgerton*) as the influencer-mistress Madame.
- Technical Contributors: Zakk Hein (video design), Jon Clark (lighting), Rosanna Vize (set), Marg Horwell (costumes).
Staging, Technology, and Design Details
Williams replaces traditional videographers with the three-person cast, who livestream portions of the performance onto the mirrored wardrobe walls. The maids repeatedly film each other with smartphones, projecting filtered images that reference contemporary luxury brands—Balenciaga glasses, Ozempic, a “Jonathan for Dior” bag—and internet culture. The set’s “bouquet-filled bedroom” evokes a high-end flower shop and a glossy influencer showroom. The onstage influencer Madame is described as a 20-something billionaire with 28.4 million social-media followers.
Official Statements & Responses
Williams frames the production as an exploration of how digital devices distance individuals from authentic self-expression. He argues that the omnipresent phone “takes us further and further away from ourselves, from who we are and the challenge of expressing that in the world.” He also suggests that contemporary society offers “every opportunity not to be yourself,” positioning the play’s visual overload as a commentary on modern identity politics.
Critical Reception: Praise and Criticism
Reviewers acknowledge the production’s visual flair and technical ingenuity. However, several critics argue that the heavy reliance on filters and brand name-dropping yields “stylish and showy” but “surface-heavy” storytelling. The erotic and incestuous subtext of Genet’s original text is described as “perfuntory, not charged and dangerous,” indicating a perceived dilution of the play’s core tension. Critics also note that the constant reference to internet culture can feel repetitive rather than revelatory, leaving the audience with “the dull acquiescence of scrolling” rather than a deeper emotional payoff.
Impact and Cultural Relevance
Williams’ revival reframes Genet’s class struggle through the lens of influencer culture, prompting questions about whether digital platforms amplify or obscure existing power hierarchies. By embedding live-feed technology into the performance, the production foregrounds the performative nature of online identity, aligning the maids’ role-playing with contemporary social-media rituals.
Verbatim Quotes
- “A world that gives you every opportunity not to be yourself.” — Kip Williams, Director
- “The phone is taking us further and further away from ourselves, from who we are and the challenge of expressing that in the world,” — Kip Williams, Director
- “Fittingly for a production that uses its back walls as both a live-feed and a mirror, we get the familiar served back to us—hey, aren’t we all servants to a need for likes now?” — Vulture reviewer
- “Don’t make the screen an end unto itself.” — Vulture reviewer
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The sources provide no box-office figures, audience attendance data, or direct statements from the production’s marketing team, leaving the commercial impact of the revival undocumented.
What’s Next
The production remains at St. Ann’s Warehouse until June 14, after which no further engagements have been announced.
