Gloucester Stage’s world premiere of “Dalloway: First Love,” has been an audience pleaser from the start.
Now in its final week, the show has received continued standing ovations from the audience, even those who have never read “Mrs. Dalloway” or any other book by Virginia Woolf.
Gloucester’s Lily Narbonne, a founder of Lanes Coven Theater Company, applauded this production.
“People should go see this, and you don’t need to know the book or anything about Virginia Woolf because the writing and Josephine Moshiri Elwood, the actress playing the lead, are so clear in their storytelling,” Narbonne said. “All the actors are very clear for that matter and a delight to watch — and the set design is gorgeous. Beautiful show.”
Playwright Lindsay Joelle, who lives out west, traveled here to see the full production, and even lent her voice to the pre-show recorded introduction about shutting off cell phones, showing off her signature humor.
Those who know the novel by Woolf may see some symbolism in the set and similarities in the script. In fact, the play begins with the opening line of Woolf’s book: “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.” and that thread will resurrect itself before the play concludes.
“As I began my research to write this prequel — cracking the spine on a novel I hadn’t touched since college Brit Lit — I felt as if I were communicating with both myself as a young reader and the author across space and time. Woolf’s words and phrases are woven throughout the play, lifted verbatim or adapted liberally, so that the dialogue you hear tonight is a true collaboration of Woolf’s imagination and my own,” Joelle wrote in a program note.
For those who know nothing about Woolf and her books, the play unveils a kaleidoscope of revolving emotions as the young characters try to figure out their place and path in the world, including those early feelings of passion as well as the pain of unrequited love.
Joelle, also a lyricist and librettist, was recently featured in American Theatre’s “Role Call: People to Watch” and received a 2026 Artist Grant from the Arts Foundation of Tucson and Southern Arizona for her new play “Mud & Fire: The Pottery Play.”
In her bio, Joelle noted that she writes “big-hearted comedies about the collision of different worldviews.”
“My plays bring together people from different cultures, classes, and faiths to witness how they collide and ultimately find ways to connect,” Joelle wrote.
The rolling world premiere will take the play to theaters in Oregon, Arizona and Texas.
For details and tickets in the final week, with shows through Saturday, Aug. 29, visit: gloucesterstage.com.
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or gmccarthy@northofboston.com.