Readers Theater Update 2024
by Cecilia Rogers, Director Readers Theater
Following our grand success of our “Interview with Queen Victoria,” Readers Theater is gearing up for our new season by planning an ALL-NEW SEQUEL tentatively scheduled for February 2025. Our presentation last January earned $2,000 for Tech Trek, and garnered us an additional performance at the Banning Museum, so we were able to donate an additional $500 later in the year.
Our new play will leverage proximity to Valentine’s Day to present Queen Victoria’s love interests throughout her life and introduce—gasp—some gossipy politics into the mix. (We will not be using my cousin’s suggestion to call it “The Real Housewives of Buckingham Palace”, but you can tell your friends that’s what it will be about). We also will have a raised platform this year for better visibility.
We are open to everyone who is interested in the theater in general and historical women in particular. We have a wonderful library of original plays highlighting women’s accomplishments — some well known, some not — which require more than 4 or 5 people to perform, so are always happy to welcome new members. No experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate in our work. At our meetings (second Monday at 6:30 pm, contact me at 310-293-7071 or fafnyr@mac.com for info), we serve a simple dinner, have time to catch up, and then go on the business of theater, with fun discussions and practice sessions. Our first meeting of the year is September 9.
Finally, I must say a few words about our beloved Pilar Hale, who as you all know passed away recently. Shewas a tireless supporter of Readers Theater, willing to take on any role, even unsympathetic ones, with energy, intelligence and aplomb, and with a wonderfully devilish sense of humor behind it all. She had lived an amazing life and brought all that experience to her work. I valued her contributions highly and I know speak for all of us in Readers Theater in saying we will miss her terribly. May flights of angels sing her to her rest.
Readers Theater History
The AAUW-PVP Readers Theater has a long history with the branch. It is currently directed by Cecilia Rogers, a longtime member who took over after the death of our previous director, Jacqueline (Jacky) Mason in 2018. New members are always welcome—no theatrical experience is required, just a love of theater and history and a desire to share it with others.
Cecilia wrote the group’s most recent play, “The Ladies Remember,” commemorating the 19th Amendment, which was performed last November on Zoom, due to the pandemic lockdown, to a surprisingly large audience!
The group is continuing to meet and plan for the time when in-person events will once again be possible, to preserve the group’s tradition of illuminating the lives of important, but often overlooked, women throughout history.
Beginning in 2002, Jacky had begun writing original plays about women’s history, the first of which was “The Select Sorority,” co-written with Pam Gershkoff. This two-act play is a delightful “visit” with eight First Ladies that is entertaining and factual, and has been performed for audiences throughout Southern California.
Jacky then wrote and produced “An Interview with Queen Victoria,” a popular afternoon-tea event moderated by four historical women journalists, including Claire Booth Luce, Nelly Bly, Katharine Graham and Dorothy Parker, which has also been widely performed. The Queen leaves politics aside to talk about her life, her family, and repeat a little gossip for the audience.
“My Mother Marie” followed, showcasing the personal life and accomplishments of renowned scientist and discoverer of radium, Marie Curie, and “Athletes in Skirts,” commemorating the historic Title IX legislation, with lively vignettes about the lives of four significant athletes, Annie Oakley, Gertrude Ederle, Babe Didrikson, and Billie Jean King. Jacky’s final play was about the wives of Henry VIII, who tell the stories of their marriages, and sometimes their deaths, as Henry himself lies dying.
All these plays are available for performance once social distancing allows us to meet again in person.
If you are interested, have questions, or would like to discuss booking a performance, please contact Cecilia Rogers at fafnyr@mac.com.
