Olney Theatre Center Hosts A Conversation With Jennifer Wexton And Sarah Bloom Raskin

Freshman member of the 116th Congress, Jennifer Wexton (VA - 10th) and former Federal Reserve Governor and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Sarah Bloom Raskin sit down for a conversation about gender, politics, and the exercise of power prior to the opening night of Mary Stuart, a world premiere adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's play Maria Stuart adapted and directed by Jason Loewith on Saturday, May 11 at 5:00 pm at Olney Theatre Center. Tickets are $10/free for Olney Theatre Center members, and can be reserved online or through the Box Office.

Since before the time of Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, women have faced challenges in gaining, wielding and retaining political power. U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton and Honorable Sarah Bloom Raskin will discuss the significance of last year's election for women, what's changed and what remains the same. Rep. Wexton was elected to the House of Representatives for the 10th District of Virginia during the 2018 election that brought a historic wave of women into Congress. Sarah Bloom Raskin, as Deputy Secretary of the Treasury was the highest ranking woman in the history of the Treasury Department.

The clash between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots takes on contemporary resonance, exploring issues of gender and power in Mary Stuart, adapted by Olney Theatre Center Artistic Director Jason Loewith. Loewith directs his adaptation of this retooled classic for a unique 21st Century production staged with 6 actors in the intimate confines of the 150-seat Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab (May 8 - June 9, 2019).

Loewith believed now was the perfect time for a new take on Mary Stuart. "With a record number of women serving in the 116th Congress this year, Schiller's play about the two most powerful women in Renaissance Europe is more relevant than ever. We're thrilled to have these two leaders and public servants take the time to contemplate the unique challenges faced by women in politics and hear from them, how the dilemmas that faced Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I resonate today."