New Hampshire Theatre Project Partners With Strawbery Banke Museum to Present WELL-BEHAVED WOMEN

New Hampshire Theatre Project is partnering with Strawbery Banke Museum to bring Jes Marbacher's historical drama, Well-Behaved Women, to the virtual stage on October 27, 2020. The recorded playreading and supporting workshops are available to the public any time on that day. Information on accessing this free virtual program can be found at nhtheatreproject.org under the On Stage Now section.

From the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, and the launch of the women's right's movement, women worked tirelessly for their right to vote. After 72 long years the 19th Amendment was passed, and women were legally allowed to cast their ballots for the first time in the 1920 election. This movement spans decades and involves many women. Playwright Jes Marbacher deftly crafts a work in two Acts, the first focusing on Susan B. Anthony's attempt to vote and subsequent arrest in 1872, and the second on Alice Paul and the suffragettes of the 1910's.

"This is really exciting," says Marbacher. "I know when I was in school, we never really learned about women's suffrage, so I am glad that this will be part of Strawbery Banke's educational programs." This play was first produced by New Hampshire Theatre Project's Junior Repertory Company in April 2016. Since creating the work Marbacher has continued to examine the role these women played in changing history, but also the work that is still to be done. "The fight for women's suffrage was complicated by inequalities that existed within the movement. I'm thinking primarily of the racism of some of the activists at the time, which has been on the forefront of my mind given our current political climate. I think it's important to recognize the humanity of these women (including their flaws) while acknowledging the progress they made."

This reading will feature NHTP Resident and Company Artists, including Genevieve Aichele, Colleen A. Madden, Monique Peaselee Foote, CJ Lewis, Blair Hundertmark and Bill Humphreys, as it approaches this epic piece head on, playing multiple characters of all ages. "This is a challenging work," says director Catherine Stewart. "It is packed with historical information, and touches on the lives of so many women who dedicated their life to equality. Staging this work for the virtual world is exciting, and it's wonderful to have so many of our artists involved."'

Well-Behaved Women playwright Jes Marbacher, a NHTP Youth Repertory alumni, received her degree in Creative Writing from Colgate University. The play is licensed through Leicester Bay Theatricals.

For more information about New Hampshire Theatre Project's 2020-2021 MainStage Season, visit nhtheatreproject.org

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