9 Parts of Desire is based on interviews of Iraqi women conducted between 1993-2002. The results were condensed into nine very different but representative characters. These women are all played by one actress. But not just any one actress. Karen Slack is well known to Colorado audiences for her extraordinary ability to shift into multiple roles, each with a compelling story, each with a distinct individuality. Her performance at THEATREWORKS last year, playing 24 characters in The Syringa Tree, astounded local audiences and moved them to laughter and tears.
9 Parts of Desire showcases a comparable virtuosity, as Ms. Slack’s Iraqi women include a little girl who can no longer go to school because she waved at American soldiers, an ancient gypsy street peddler, a doctor who has been exposed to Uranium, and an artist creating a watercolor on stage.