The RWU Theatre Department presented its debut show “An Evening with Mrs. Parker” on Sept. 11 and 12. The performance retold the story of Dorothy Parker’s life through her poetry and narrative work. Parker was a famous writer, humorist, critic and human rights defender who rose to fame for her literary talent. The show’s audience gathered a sense of who Mrs. Parker was when she was alive through the good and bad times she wrote about.

“An Evening with Mrs. Parker” ran differently from past debut shows. Though it was held inside the Barn, only 13 seats were available for audience members and reservations had to be made for the seats beforehand.

Each of the four actors and actresses sat in individual chairs and stood when it was their time to recite a piece of Parker’s writing. The poetry and other written works of Mrs. Parker helped develop the story of her life, its impact and her legacy.

Parkers’ poems consisted of romance followed by heartbreak and how she had a tempestuous relationship with men throughout her life. Her work also expressed the fragility of her mental health when it came to her experience with depression.

While there was little movement around the stage, the cast made up for it with voice inflections and facial expressions. The actors did a great job of not letting their masks affect the projection of their voices and articulation. The actors involved were Teal Kim, Marisa Cestone, Devyn Siegl and Brian Martinez.

Overall, the show was short but to the point. It showed the talent of a young woman who gained fame throughout her life with her creative work. Parkers’ whit shines throughout the play and as the show voiced in the ending, “No matter where she is, her words stay with us.”