Previews: PREDICTOR at Powerstories @Stageworks Theatre

Running July 17 to 26, Predictor opens Powerstories Theatre’s 26th Season themed Greater Good, a year dedicated to stories of women whose courage, creativity, and persistence changed lives and expanded possibility. It is the first production under new Executive Artistic Director Clareann Despain.

Written by award winning playwright Jennifer Blackmer, Predictor tells the remarkable true story of Margaret "Meg" Crane, the young groundbreaking graphic designer who imagined a simple tool that placed life changing information directly into women’s hands. In 1967, she created the first home pregnancy test, offering privacy and autonomy at a time when those freedoms were rarely granted. Her breakthrough was nearly erased, yet its impact rippled across generations.

Powerstories Theatre is honored to announce that Crane will join audiences for three special events before and during the Florida premiere of Predictor at Stageworks Theatre. She will participate in a free Zoom Beyond the Story: Predictor event at Powerstories Theatre Studio on June 28, and a talkback on July 24 and a meet and greet on July 25, offering Tampa audiences a rare opportunity to meet the woman whose quiet idea reshaped autonomy for women.

Onstage, Crane's journey becomes a fast moving theatrical ride - part absurdist comedy, part game show, part intimate portrait of a woman insisting on being heard in a world determined to talk over her.

As Meg fights to bring her invention to life, the audience watches a revolution take shape in real time: a simple prototype that would eventually land on drugstore shelves and change millions of women’s lives. The story is funny, sharp, and deeply human, celebrating the courage it takes to push an idea forward when the patriarchy isn’t ready for it.

Directed by Gigi Jennewien, the play stars Jenna Jane as Meg, and features Ivy Sunflower, Kari Velguth, Jill Schroeder, Landon Green, Will Chamblee, and Matt dePasquale as the six choruses. Predictor moves through shifting worlds of corporate boardrooms, personal crossroads, and a surreal, fast paced game show that mirrors Crane’s struggle to be heard. Each moment underscores the pressure she faced as she fought to bring her idea to life.

This Florida Premiere brings Crane’s legacy to the stage with wit, warmth, and theatrical imagination. It invites audiences to cheer for the woman who dared to say, “I think there’s a better way,” and proved she was right.

Despain says, “Having Meg with us is a gift. Her story is the heartbeat of this production, and hearing her speak in person brings a depth that only the originator of this history can offer. Our audiences will not just watch her journey onstage. They will meet the woman who imagined a tool that never existed before, that gave women control over their reproductive rights.”

Her presence in Tampa deepens the production’s resonance at a time when conversations about women’s autonomy continue to shape headlines and courtrooms. Her invention reminds us that progress is imagined by those who refuse to wait, defended by those who refuse to be dismissed, and reclaimed each time access to knowledge is threatened.

Crane explains, “I am deeply grateful to Jennifer Blackmer for bringing my story to life on the stage. I was a young woman with an idea that was not acceptable to the male dominated company I worked for. That idea, that a woman should be able to test herself for pregnancy. Today, we haven’t moved far beyond the challenges women faced in the 1960’s. Jen tells my story in a way that is fast moving, funny, and true. Thank you Powerstories Theatre for bringing Predictor to Tampa!”

As Powerstories launches its 26th Season, the company continues its commitment to community access through the STAGE Initiative, providing sponsored tickets to local nonprofits so individuals who might not otherwise experience live theatre can attend a performance. Supporters have already sponsored tickets of individuals from MacDill Air Force Base, Project Return, PFLAG, and Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, among others.

Despain explains, “Predictor tells the story of a woman who changed the world by insisting that knowledge belongs in the hands of the people who need it. That belief is at the heart of our STAGE Initiative as well. When you sponsor tickets, you are helping someone access a story that might shift how they see themselves, their choices, or their future.”

That same belief in access and agency guided Powerstories’ artistic committee as they selected the stories that would shape this season.

Marketing Director Deb Kelley says, “We selected Meg’s story because it speaks directly to today’s fight for autonomy and access. Welcoming her to Tampa feels extraordinary. Audiences will meet the woman whose courage shaped the world in ways many never realized, and her presence turns this production into a once in a lifetime experience.”

Beyond the Story with Meg Crane will take place on Zoom at Powerstories Theatre Studio, 4237 W El Prado Blvd at 4pm on June 28. It is a free event, but RSVP is required. Performances of Predictor will be July 17-26 at Stageworks Theatre, 1120 E Kennedy Blvd, Suite 151, Tampa.

If you or your organization want to champion this important work, you can sponsor the show or tickets for a deserving nonprofit by making a one time or recurring donation at https://bit.ly/PSSUPORT. Nonprofits interested in receiving sponsored tickets through STAGE Initiative may contact deb@powerstories.com.