Rachel Garlin’s The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese Sheds Light On Queer History in Trying Times

The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese, a new song cycle written and performed by singer-songwriter Rachel Garlin, will be presented at Potrero Stage, with performances on Tuesday, November 18th and Thursday, November 20th at 7:00PM. Tickets ($0) are available for advance reservation HERE. The performance will run approximately 90 minutes. 

Despite being married to men, protagonists Madelyne and Therese share a fleeting romantic connection during the summer of 1939. When they re-encounter each other a year later in Manhattan, they find ways to communicate using code words, sewing machines, and switchboards, often hiding in plain sight. 

Written and performed by Rachel Garlin and her band, The Ballad of Madelyne & Therese is a new song cycle that brings to life queer possibility in oppressive times. 

The Ballad is being developed by a creative team that includes Madeleine Oldham (dramaturgy), Charlie Varon (creative development),Yair Evnine (orchestration), and a band of local musicians including bassist Daniel Fabricant. 

Rachel Garlin (Writer & Lead Performer) is a singer and songwriter who has been making music professionally for more than twenty years. Rachel has toured internationally, released nine independent albums, and been hailed by critics at the San Francisco Chronicle, Americana Highways, and Country Queer. She lives in San Francisco with her wife and kids. 

POTRERO STAGE is a 99-seat state-of-the-art performance space located in the heart of San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood, operated by PlayGround, and serving as home to some of the Bay Area’s leading new play developers and producers, including PlayGround, Crowded Fire, Golden Thread, and Playwrights Foundation, among others. For more information or to inquire about rentals, email info@potrerostage.org or call (415) 992-6677.