Hurricane Diane

by Madeleine George

Meet Diane, a permaculture gardener dripping with butch charm. She’s got supernatural abilities owing to her true identity—the Greek god Dionysus—and she's returned to the modern world to gather mortal followers and restore the Earth to its natural state. Where better to begin than with four housewives in a suburban New Jersey cul-de-sac? In this Obie-winning comedy with a twist, Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George pens a hilarious evisceration of the blind eye we all turn to climate change and the bacchanalian catharsis that awaits us, even in our own backyards.

Genres: Plays, Queer, LGBT, Mythology, Fiction, Theatre, Read For School

70 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[Maddie McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty weird play that will definitely come back to haunt me

[Kaylee DeFre · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly inspired that dionysus would appear as a butch lesbian named diane. one of the few well-done and creative greek retellings in recent years. (also bonus monmouth country new jersey rep)

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely hilarious dark comedy in which Dionysus has reinvented themself as a butch lesbian landscaper named Diane and is attempting to combat climate change and get new worshippers in suburban New Jersey. Completely delightful from start to finish.

[Ed Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Madeline George’s ‘Hurricane Diane’ is a retelling of Euripides’ ‘The Bacchae’ where Dionysus, disappointed by the ecological ruin of the world and monumental decline in worship, returns to earth posing as the butch lesbian gardener Diane vowing to rebuild their Bacchae and prevent the worlds ecological ruin. It is an utterly unhinged play and Diane/Dionysus is such a comical yet prominent and imposing lead with questionable but warm and well natured intentions. The blend of Greek mythology and eco-criticism was so clever and it was such a rollercoaster of the plot that really could’ve gone in any direction and in the end certainly went somewhere. I loved the ecological and anti-ecological monologues and despite the plays unpredictability and sheer silliness it had such a brilliant core theme which was executed so well, just a pure vibes play.

[Kate Seader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dionysius, permaculture, and genderqueer landscapers. This feels like a direct call out. I love all the listed flora and references peppered in, like xylem & phloem in the Bacchae.
A part of me wants the happy ending where they fix everything. But the rest knows that this is the realist ending, that we want everything without being willing to give up any comforts. I enjoy the writing of Diane as a flawed demigod. Vain, unyielding, and often ignorant of the modern world. Comparing human lives to fruit flies and when spurned, cursing that they will not return.

[Meaghan Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good! I like the idea of this more than the execution, but obviously can't hold that against it too hard as a play. I thought it was interesting and a fun idea, with a really cool classical/modern feel. I just wished that the opening monologue didn't hit the audience over the head with the point- the point is literally clear as day let the audience think about it a little bit. But overall fun!

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super camp but also heavy. Maybe I should be upset that Dionysus is a PREDATORY butch, but it was also definitely the right call to make them thus. Well researched, fun, intriguing premise, just a great play!

[zz · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I was screaming a little outside the Greek place, because I felt so strongly about it, you know?
I think I was making kind of a little scene, and I saw this look pass through Scott's eyes at that moment and I thought, (Sad.) Oh... I'm gonna see that look again.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

reccomended to me as a climate change play, which is interesting because I think one of the main themes is resistance to change

[ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so weird cute and camp I love it

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly thrilling, terrifying take on the Bakkhai. Diane makes for a pitch perfect Dionysus and as a climate change fable this is without peer.

[miriam campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

crazy ass play. i would join diane's cult the moment she stepped through my door

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky n queer

[Mady Thetard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say! It’s environmentalist and gay!

[Brendy Bren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read 🫡

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read for class.

[Annaka Guerrero]

first reread of many

[Castor · Rating 1 out of 5]

damn this sucked. homophobic throughout, very tired and too on-the-nose use of Greek myth. embarrassing

[Buggg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like dionysus as a butch lesbian landscape who seduces housewives in order to stop climatic change

[Tom Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some classic stories update well. I'm not sure The Bacchae is one of them. Although maybe that's the point....

[Octavia]

Love when a play ends with nature going thru it.

[Aniela Markowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

smakowite

[elizab · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOMEN….MY WOMEN

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Read for school.

[Ke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this so bad but I think Madeleine George's writing just isn't for me.