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...
She certainly is doing first-rate work with this
first lady."
"...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
Professor of English
Centenary College Full
Review
"...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."
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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