Theater for the New City to Honor Victoria Woodhull 11/15

A few days after Hillary Clinton ended her campaign, a press conference is being held at Theater for the New City on Nov. 15, to remember and recognize Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for the presidency.

Woodhull ran for president in 1872, before women had the right to vote and just a few years after African-Americans obtained the right to vote, making history and using the election to attract attention to the inequalities of her era.

The press conference is being held Nov. 15, 2-4 p.m. at Theater for the New City just two days before the theater presents Victoria Woodhull, a new play written by Claude Solnik and directed by Donna Mejia. The show is running from Nov. 17 to Dec. 4.

Media who attend the press conference will meet some cast members and the playwright and see "Vote for Victoria" buttons and bumper stickers part of a campaign to attract attention to this often forgotten figure in American history.

"She realized that even if they could stop her from voting, no law barred women from running for office," Solnik said. "She ran to get people to pay attention to the unfair way women were treated at the time, and by that measure, her run was a success."

Woodhull's run for the presidency in 1872 before women could vote is one of the more interesting political campaigns in our history and an often ignored chapter in the fight for women's rights.

"She founded a Wall Street brokerage and a publication," Solnik said. "She was one of the first women to testify before Congress. She wanted to be heard and she was."

Media attending the press conference also will receive a list of New York City locations important in Woodhull's life, including places where she lived and gave speeches.

Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. (9th-10th Sts.), New York, NY, is located just blocks from locations of major events in her life, including Cooper Union's Great Hall, where she spoke. For info. and/or seats, go to http://www.textilecompanytheater.com/

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