“There’s something unsettling, in the best way” about 53% Of. Director Talley Wilford knew that from the first read.

“What struck me immediately is that this script does not go where you expect,” he says. “You think you’re following one set of characters, and instead every scene resets everything. By the final scene, it completely pulls the rug out from under you.”

That unpredictability is exactly what drew him in. Even as he questioned whether he was the “right” person to direct a piece so centered on women’s perspectives and political identity, the urgency of the work made the decision for him.

“I didn’t know if I was the perfect director for it,” Wilford admits. “But I couldn’t concern myself with whether the perfect director would come along. This felt important now. This script has ideas that deserve to be heard.”

Set during the 2016 national election, 53% Of lives in the tension between the personal and the political. For Wilford, the foundation of the play is deeply personal.

“My favorite plays are the ones that remind me of my own life,” he says. “One of the scenes is a parallel to the kind of women who raised me. If they were 35 today, this is how they would talk around the kitchen table. The costumes are even modeled after my aunts, my mother, and their friends.”

At the same time, the work has taken on a deeper resonance as the cast has brought the script to life. The same qualities he recognized in the women who raised him like the cadence, the humor, the contradictions, have started to emerge in the actors in unexpected ways.

“It’s not that they’re imitating anyone,” he explains, “but there are moments where you recognize something real, something lived-in. The way a line lands, the way a look passes between them, the way a conversation turns. That’s when it clicks.”

For Wilford, that recognition is what makes the ensemble work compelling. It’s not about recreating a specific group of women, but about capturing something honest enough that it feels familiar even when it’s uncomfortable.

“Actors are actors,” Wilford says. “If you treat people with respect and don’t make assumptions, you can’t go wrong. People just want to be treated like people.”

Still, he acknowledges the responsibility that comes with telling this story.

“I refuse to shy away from a play that amplifies women’s voices,” he says. “Especially when we’re still hearing conversations every day that dismiss or dehumanize women.”

The title itself points directly to the play’s central tension. 53% Of references a widely discussed statistic about how white women voted in 2016, and again in 2024. It’s a number that raises uncomfortable questions.

For Wilford, discomfort is not something to avoid, that’s the point.

“I hope people feel seen,” he says. “And then I hope they reflect. If you leave thinking you’ve got everything figured out, maybe look a little closer.”

In a theatre landscape often filled with familiar titles, he hopes 53% Of offers something different. “I hope it jolts you,” he says. “I hope it feels new. Do something with that feeling. Don’t be complacent. Be bold. Stand up.”

Presented by Groove/Factory, 53% Of will be performed at the Waterfowl Festival Building from April 16–19. Tickets are available at thefactoryartsproject.org/53of, with additional details about showtimes available online. Audiences are encouraged to reserve tickets in advance for this limited run.