 Loose Knit Feb. 19 - Mar. 7, 2010 Professional Equity Play |
Mary Todd...A Woman
Apart
March 1 - 16, 2001
Professional Equity Theatre
Presentation
| Mary Todd Lincoln played by:
Playwright: |
Colleen Smith Wallnau Carl N. Wallnau |
Journey
into the mind of Mary Todd Lincoln, one of the most complex
and misunderstood figures in American History.
"I would rather marry a man of mind.., with a hope and bright prospects ahead for position, fame and power, than to many all the houses of gold," proclaimed the genteel and aristocratic Mary Todd, shortly before her controversial marriage to the humble, but ambitious lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, in Springfield, Ill, in 1842. Now, more than 150 years later, the life of Mary Todd is the subject of the new play to premiere at the Centenary Stage Company (CSC) in March, Mary Todd...A Woman Apart.
Written by Centenary Stage Company's artistic Director, Carl Wallnau, Mary Todd...A Woman Apart explores the intriguing life of a woman who in her youth was said to be "the very creature of excitement." Mary Todd's life as the wife of Abraham Lincoln was destined to be mercurial. Born to an affluent family of Lexington, KY, Todd received an excellent education uncharacteristic of women in her day. She was outspoken and steadfast in her belief in her husband's abilities and potential, although their early years together brought financial struggles.
Todd's
tenure in the white house as "First Lady" mingled
misery with triumph. An extravagant entertainer, Todd set
her guests at ease at opulent social gatherings in the White
House, but it was in the White House that she also suffered
the death of her favorite son, Willie, and then her husband's
assassination as she sat in the box next to him at the Ford's
theatre that fateful night in 1865.
Shattered by the death of loved ones, Todd hovered between depression and a tortured fear of poverty. In 1875, Todd's son Robert brought insanity proceedings against his mother, which led to a four-month residency in a private sanitarium. To this day the question of Mary Todd's "sanity" is the subject of speculation. In July of 1876, with the help of a political ally, Todd received a new hearing and another jury declared her "sane." Mary Todd died in 1882 in Springfield, Ill, in the same house from which she walked out as the spirited and hopeful bride of Abraham Lincoln, 40 years before.
Reviews
|
"No question that this Mary Todd has a need
to explain herself, and Wallnau delivers her lines
briskly, rarely taking the time to lick her lips.
But she isn't going too fast to be understood --
either in speech or in capturing the essence of
Mary Todd Lincoln... Peter Filichia |
"...a glorious complex of construction as Mary's story, told in a non-linear manner of flashes that move forward and back in time, keeps us (the audience) moving through arcs upon arcs: arcs of experience, arcs of emotions, and arcs of meaning." Dr. Linda
Cahir |
|
"...Play provides a role many an actress would cherish, and before it falls into the hands of a Zoe Caldwell or a Rosemary Harris, I trust Colleen Smith Wallnau will have the opportunity to reach larger audiences in her stunning performance." Robert
L. Daniels |
|
Colleen Smith Wallnau In The Title Role
CSC
welcomes back the gifted Colleen Smith Wallnau to
portray this poignant, moving and often comic personal story
of Mrs. Abraham Lincoln. Ms Wallnau, who performed on Broadway
and with the European tour of Crazy for You, will
be remembered by CSC audiences for her many portrayals on
the Centenary Stage in such productions as Marvin 's Room,
The Killing of Sister George and The Haunting of
Hill House.
Playwright
Written by CSC Artistic Director, Carl
Wallnau, Mary Todd.. .A Woman Apart explores the
intriguing life of a woman who in her youth was said to be
"the very creature of excitement." Mary Todd's
life as the wife of Abraham Lincoln was destined to be Mercurial.
"First Sundays" Symposium - March 3, 2002
A special "First Sundays" Symposium on March 3 will feature the playwright, cast and a discussion of Mary Todd's life led by academics from Centenary College's history and women's studies departments. The symposium is open to the public and follows the 2:30 matinee performance.
Meet & Mingle - March 8, 2002
With the 2001-2002 season, we started offering our new Singles Night on one Friday of every theatre production.
Audio Described Performance - March 10, 2002
Audio Described Performances for patrons who are blind and visually impaired - March 10, 2:30 PM. Please reserve in advance due to limited equipment availability.
Performance Schedule
Mary Todd.. .A Woman Apart, will be performed March 1 - 16 at the Centenary Theatre. Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM, Wed - Mar 6 at 2:30 PM and Wed Mar 13 at 11 AM (student matinee), and Thursdays at 7:30 PM.
| March - Mary Todd...A Woman Apart | ||||||
| Wed. Mat. 2:30pm |
Wed. Stu. 11am |
Thurs. Eve. 7:30pm |
Fri. Mat. 2:30pm |
Fri. Eve. 8pm |
Sat. Eve. 8pm |
Sun. Mat. 2:30pm |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 "First Sundays" |
|||
| 6 | x | 7 Family Night |
x | 8 Meet & Mingle |
9 | 10 Audio Described |
| x | 13 | 14 Family Night |
x | 15 | 16 | |
Tickets
- Saturday performances are $17.50 adults, $15 seniors & students, and $12.50 children under 12.
- Thursday evenings are "Family Nights" with an early curtain and a special "rush" ticket price of two-for-one, available at the door only.
- For all other performances, tickets are $15 adults, $12.50 children under 12.
- Special Luncheon
Buffets are available for groups of 15 or more, for
an all inclusive price of $20 (luncheon and show) and
are served in the historic charm of the recently restored,
turn-of-the-century Centenary College formal dining rooms.
Tickets are available at the Centenary Stage Company Box office at 908-979-0900, online using our Tickets / Ordering Form, and locally at the Baron's Hallmark in the Hackettstown Mall.
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Annual programming at the Centenary Performing Arts Guild are made possible in part through the generous support of the The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, The New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour (Penn PAT) , Heath Village, Coldwell Banker and Centenary Performing Arts Guild Members and Sponsors.
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