Head Trick’s production of Sand’s feminist parable, performed by a cast of female and non-binary actors, pits Gabriel against criminals and princes, the fantastic and nightmarish world of Carnival, and the pervasive social inequality from which even love and friendship are not safe. The company will hold post-show talkbacks with special guests to discuss the play, its feminist and trans themes, and the development process.

Gabriel opens Head Trick’s 2017-18 season, which responds to the political climate not with stories of government tyranny or business corruption, but with plays by, and about, the people marginalized by policies and rhetoric that repress difference. “Women and minorities aren’t a modern invention”, says Head Trick’s artistic director Rebecca Maxfield, whose company focuses on classic plays. “We’ve always been here, and in planning a season with the political situation at the forefront of our minds, Head Trick is choosing to put those voices and stories out there.”