Review #2 of 2: The Maids by Mad Cat Theatre

by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on September 05, 2026

THE MAIDS is foundational Theatre of the Absurd. Mad Cat Theatre’s production was so timeless, powerful, and efficacious that it highlighted the greatest absurdity of all, the fact the story is not absurd at all.

  Personally, I am not a fan of true crime. Still, in the pursuit of authenticity be forewarned that this article includes some disturbing elements. Also, it will contain spoilers for this 79-year-old play, Mad Cat's first production, which closed in mid-August. Jean Genet's tale fictionalizes two sisters, live-in housekeepers convicted of murdering their employer's wife and daughter. Christine was the first employed but in a short time soon convinced them to hire her sister Leá. …

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Review #1 of 2: THE MAIDS by Jean Genet, Mad Cat Theatre, Austin

by David Glen Robinson
Published on August 12, 2026

New company Mad Cat productions in Austin stages a dark, sparkling gem of a play with Genet's over-the-top black comedy THE MAIDS.

  Mad Cat Theatre Company is a welcome addition to Austin's theatre scene. Its inaugural production of The Maids by Jean Genet is an ambitious career step for talented founders Maddie Scanlan and Allison Paranka. Both have taken star turns in Austin with Elizabeth Newman’s Filigree Theatre. Scanlan had notable roles in Suddenly Last Summer and The Last Match, and Paranka was in Summer and Smoke. They have many additional credits in Austin and elsewhere. The …

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