The Maids

  On a February evening in 1933, two previously unremarkable domestic servants named

 Christine and Léa Papin murdered and mutilated their longtime employer and her daughter in Le Mans, making headlines across France and igniting an intellectual debate about class struggle. The tale of these infamous (and reputedly incestuous) sisters inspired literary bad boy Jean Genet’s play The Maids, first performed in Paris in 1947 and now featured in the lineup for this summer’s Lincoln Center Festival. Making its North American debut, the acclaimed Sidney Theatre Company production joins powerhouse actresses Cate Blanchett and Isabelle Huppert with rising star Elizabeth Debicki as the mistress. While its casting may deviate from Genet’s original concept—he supposedly intended for all the roles to be played by men—the show delivers a rare combination of celebrity glamour, high art and true crime. In English. Aug. 6 through 16 at New York City Center; lincolncenterfestival.org.