Cherdonna Meets Her Maker at Washington Ensemble Theatre

Cherdonna takes the stage with herself, or rather her creator, at Washington Ensemble Theatre.

Cherdonna Shinatra is well known to Seattle audiences, but never have they seen Cherdonna on stage alongside with her creator. That would be a bit tricky given they are one in the same.

It’s been about four years since Cherdonna staged her super charged take of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House.”

And last year, Cherdonna was just about to hit the stage again with “The Strange Case of Dr. Cher & Mr. Donna.” But, the pandemic derailed that opening, as theaters (and just about everything else) were shuttered.

Now, as we start to climb out of the pandemic, Cherdonna (aka Jody Kuehner) is once again teaming up with WET for her ruminations on a post-pandemic puzzle in “The Doll Pit.”

This piece pretty much sums up quarantine

It all boils down to these two questions: Are you yourself if you’re unable to rely on what you know to be true? Is your identity based solely on your productivity?

In this hour-long dance film, Cherdonna (and Kuehner) set out to tackle these issues with their sure-fire vivacity. The film is said to be inspired by Joni Mitchell and the Kardashians. Talk about a pandemic paradox.

Since the last Cherdonna show was cancelled, Maggie L. Rogers, Artistic Director of WET, has been looking for just the right vehicle for their next staging together. 

“The idea of Jody and Cherdonna living together in a cramped attic studio apartment became the perfect way to explain what it means to be alone with yourself when you are an artist and living with a voice and passion inside of you that cannot be heard or fulfilled,” notes Rogers, who is also directing. “This piece pretty much sums up quarantine.”

Cherdonna at Washington Ensemble Theatre.

As we are coming out of the quarantine phase, in-person shows are not quite ready for prime time. So, you can catch “The Doll Pit” streaming online May 21 – June 13, 2021.

Tickets are on sale at WET starting at just $5.