Eugenia

Published 1996

Set in 1916 and the present, Eugenia tells the story of Eugenia Martelli, an Italian immigrant at the beginning of the century, who lives as a man and marries a woman without revealing her true gender. Eugenia is a charmer, a con artist, a womaniser and an outsider, who lives life on a dangerous edge. Eugenia is arrested – but is she a cold-blooded criminal or has she been put on trial as a gender offender?

Lorae Parry MNZM is a playwright, actor and director. She has participated extensively in New Zealand theatre, and has spent time writing and performing in Britain. Her groundbreaking play Eugenia explores the nature of sexuality and gender, while challenging related social traditions. Her writing predominantly engages with women’s experience and relationships, often with a national historical focus.