“Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power. ... The obvious remedy is to create a feminine character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.” — William Moulton Marston, in "The American Scholar"
It’s hard to imagine a time before Wonder Woman.
Even now, years after her creation, the image of the most archetypal female superhero is so firmly embedded in our cultural zeitgeist that there’s at least one person at every Halloween party dressed up in her iconic, star-dotted tiara.
And with Wonder Woman taking a co-starring role in the upcoming "Batman v Superman" movie, she's becoming part of the zeitgeist for a new generation of fans. And with that, they might wonder where she came from.
“Lasso of Truth” can help fill in that background. The play, written by Carson Kreitzer and being staged at Arizona State University this weekend, tells the story of the man behind Wonder Woman. William Moulton Marston was the psychologist who invented the lie-detector test and later conceived one of the great feminist icons of the 20th century. He was also in a polyamorous relationship with two women (here’s where the story starts to get racy).
The ASU School of Film, Dance and TheatreThe School of Film, Dance and Theatre is part of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. presents "Lasso of Truth" as part of its 2015-16 MainStage season, directed by guest director Pamela Fields and starring ASU students.
The play will be performed at the Lyceum Theatre on ASU’s Tempe Campus at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12–13 and 18–20 and 2 p.m. Feb. 14 and 21.
Tickets are $16; $12 for ASU faculty, staff and alumni; $12 for senior citizens; and $8 for students. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 480-965-6447.
More Arts, humanities and education
Former head of NEA returns to ASU to drive social impact in communities
When Maria Rosario Jackson took over as head of the National Endowment for the Arts in 2022, she wanted to promote an “artful life” for all Americans.She described an artful life as an expansive…
ASU student competes as one of 'world's smartest people' in new season of Amazon Prime's 'Beast Games'
Samantha Harker was 13 years old when she decided to challenge herself.Harker, who is in her fourth year of her PhD in neuroscience at Arizona State University, where she’s researching autism and…
From ASU to the open road: Alumna Gabriella Shead builds a career behind the scenes of Broadway tours
For ASU alumna Gabriella Shead, a career in the theater isn’t about taking center stage — it’s about making sure everything behind the curtain runs seamlessly. Now serving as assistant company…