Woman’s National Democratic Club will present the East Coast premiere of a staged reading of First Ladies and the Big White Lie by Janine Sternlieb with Lennie Dean, directed by Shanara Gabrielle. The reading will be presented on September 20th @2:00PM and 21st @6:00PM at the Club Headquarters, the elegant and historic Whittemore House in Dupont Circle.
First Ladies and the Big White Lie features nine historical female characters including Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Dolley Madison, and Abigail Adams.
The most famous and esteemed deceased First Ladies are having a hard time with the Trump presidency. But what can they do about it? Disturbing and unprecedented events are unfolding in DC, in Charlottesville, and at the border, and their predictable “existence” is thrown into chaos. They must confront the secrets and deceptions that have hindered America’s march toward a truly democratic society.
Kudos for First Ladies and the Big White Lie:
“I was riveted from the first minute…So intelligent and thought provoking!”
“Fascinating, humorous, profoundly moving.”
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”
The cast includes local acting artists: Robyn Cohen, Miranda Zola, Emily Erickson, Bess Kaye, Claire Schoonover, Rebecca Ballinger, Anise Jordan-Dorsey, Sara Dabney-Tisdale, and Katie Ganem.
Wednesday, September 20 at 2p and Thursday, September 21 at 6p.
Both shows will have talkbacks with the playwrights, actors, and director.
Location:
Woman’s National Democratic Club
1526 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20036
Every day I read something in the news that strikes me as hypocritical or outrageous, and therefore excellent source material for a play. Historical figures, just like contemporary figures, are wonderfully full of contradictions, blemishes, and foibles.
– Janine Sternlieb
For more information see:http://JanineSternlieb.com
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About Woman’s National Democratic Club
The Woman’s National Democratic Club (WNDC) is a hub for civic engagement, learning, and political action in the heart of the nation’s capital. We are a meeting place for Democrats, Independents, and Progressives to come together in order to protect and promote our democratic values. We continue our legacy of serving as a forum for our community to engage in conversation and action to advance shared political interests. WNDC was founded in 1922 at a historic time in American history — just two years after the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which began the enfranchisement of American women.
After a struggle that had begun more than 60 years earlier at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, women were no longer to be denied all the rights and privileges of citizenship. In November 1920, many women cast their votes for the first time. While the right to vote remained, and remains, under attack for far too many Americans, WNDC was founded on the principle of putting our democracy in the hands of the people. The first organization for Democratic women in Washington, DC, WNDC opened its doors near the White House in 1924. The Club provided a social setting for political dialogue between visiting Democrats and residents of the District of Columbia, who were excluded from national suffrage, and continue to be denied full representation.
Photos are courtesy of Janine Sternlieb
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