'Let. Her. Rip' at Stages turns a 19th-century social protest into riveting theater

The world premiere of Maggie Lee Rader’s portrait of three women demanding their labor rights, against the backdrop of the Jack the Ripper attacks, features strong performances and a powerful message.

Deftly directed by Stages’ artistic director Derek Charles Livingston, the world premiere of Maggie Lou Rader’s “Let. Her. Rip” draws us into an 1888 strike led by the London Match Women Labor movement, which changed the way these exploited women were treated. Rader has said that she “writes plays about fierce women,” and the three women who make up the trio of friends involved in a labor revolt are memorable characters who have vulnerabilities, but also a lot of strength.