Going against the tide: Two unconventional women find friendship, hope during decades of confinement in ‘Airswimming’

Imagine spending half a century locked in a mental institution simply for being a single mother — or for wanting to dress like a man. That’s what happened to the two women who inspired British playwright Charlotte Jones’ “Airswimming.”

Wendy Barker and Nichole Hamilton star in the two-person play, which Robb Anthony Sisneros is directing for Fusion Theatre Company. It opens on Thursday, March 19, and runs through March 29.

“It is loosely based on a true story about two women who were institutionalized in England in the 1920s and remained there until the hospital closed in 1972,” Sisneros said. “Their entire lives, for the most part, were spent in an institution that family members sent them to for reasons that, in the mid-1920s, were considered reasons for mental illness but would not be considered (symptoms of mental illness) in any way, shape or form by today’s standards.”

Faced with a bleak and confining existence, Dora (Hamilton) and Persephone (Barker) create alter-egos, Dorph and Porph, and escape into a world of their own imagination.

“While the show might sound like a heavy drama, and the issues are heavy, there are some wonderful moments of humor, and that’s part of the women’s bonding,” Sisneros said. “So, I don’t want it to sound like it’s a doom and gloom show. There’s definitely moments of humor that help these women get through their lives.”

Sisneros has directed Barker in previous productions and was excited to work with her again.

“She’s incredibly talented, and we get to hear some lovely music from her, as her character serenades the audience in a few of the scenes,” Sisneros said. “Even though it’s not a musical, she is able to sing, and we get to hear her beautiful voice.”

This is Sisneros’ first time working with Hamilton, who teaches theater at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

“I’m finding the two of them to just be a delight in how they are working and exploring these characters together onstage,” he said. “They had never worked together before, so it’s fresh and new for both of them. So, together, the three of us are … finding the commonality between the characters that bonds them, and also the differences that allow them to support each other.”

The play unfolds across decades of the women’s incarceraton.

“We see them emotionally transform throughout the play,” Sisneros said.

Meanwhile, the scenes alternate between reality and fantasy.

“What’s nice about the situation is that these scenes with their different character personas intertwine,” Sisneros said. “So, for the audience, it takes us … to different places. It’s not always just restricted to the hospital. … Being able to share their past, their present and these fantasy moments allows the audience to see different places and times and not get bored with just being in the institution.”

Sisneros has directed other plays in which characters seek solace or escape through fantasy.

“I just recently directed ‘Man of La Mancha,’ which all takes place in a prison, yet we go into this fantasy escape world of Don Quixote,” he said. “A few years ago, I directed a show called ‘The Moors.’ That show also transitioned in time, and space became very fluid as we were traveling through the story. We saw fantasy by seeing animal characters speaking, yet it all brought us back to a very grounded story of women.”

Although “Airswimming” is a period piece, Sisneros said it remains relevant today.

“It’s a story about bonding between women, so it’s a very empowering story in that realm,” Sisneros said. “But it also allows you to really put into perspective the differences in how society through the decades viewed women and could brand them with mental illness. … In today’s world, we see a lot of that same struggle … (even if) women may not be quite as blatantly institutionalized.”

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.