Program Description
Event Details
In celebration of Women's History Month, we are excited to present Ginger Grace in The First Ladies Coalition, written by Ms. Grace and directed by the esteemed Austin Pendleton.
Many of you may have seen Ginger's portrayal of the poet Emily Dickinson, when she visited Wilton Library last year. In The First Ladies Coalition, Ginger portrays not one woman, but five! Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Mary Todd Lincoln travel through time to Colleen McCracken’s sewing shop. Colleen, a resilient ex-convict and survivor of domestic violence, happens to be an exquisite seamstress — and desperately needs their specific kind of help. They bring it! Mysteries and secrets are unveiled – both hers and theirs. Through these courageous First Ladies – all forerunners in the fight for Social Justice – Colleen finds her ticket to wrestling obstacles, risking everything -- and taking on the extraordinary in life!
“Ginger Grace is a phenomenon. . . in this multi-layered, complex, entertaining and educational portrait.”
Steven Patterson, Associate Artistic Director, Bridge Street Theatre, NY
“A high wire act!!”
Bill Castellino, Theatre Director NYC
“Ginger Grace is luminous in this searing portrait of women confronting impossible challenges."
Janice Maffei, Literary Manager, the Schoolhouse Theater
Ginger Grace
Ginger toured nationally in The Presidents (opposite Rich Little) and played all the First Ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Hillary Clinton.
Extensive work with Austin Pendleton (in theatre & film) includes a series of major plays by Tennessee Williams, and most recently, the Bruce Gorman film, Weekend at the Agamemnons, which played the Atlantic City Cinefest Down Beach
Film Festival, where Ms. Grace & Mr. Pendleton picked up the Best Actor & Best Actress Awards.
Her one-woman shows on Emily Dickinson have played throughout the country since 2002, and include Inside Emily Dickinson: Her Poetry & Her Life and The Belle of Amherst.
Her body of classical work started in New York with leading roles in Elektra; Hamlet; Faust; and Peer Gynt, all under the direction of Christopher Martin at CSC (Classical Stage Company). Regional highlights include Eleanor Roosevelt: Her
Secret Journey (The Schoolhouse Theater) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Penobscot Theatre).
Other films include Wedding March (WINNER: PBS Reel 13 Competition and The Amsterdam Short Film Festival); and 6-minute Mom.
Ms. Grace has a passion for bringing out the creativity and voices of students through writing and acting when working with inner-city students in the CASA Program in New York, and leading workshops throughout the country in conjunction with Belle and her interactive Emily Dickinson!
Registration for this program is required.
Photo Credit: Images of the First Ladies courtesy of The Smithsonian.