First Person Histories Humanitarian, Reformer, & Peace Advocate JANE ADDAMSGuided by powerful experiences and a conviction that the inequities of human life can be brought to balance, Jane Addams (1860-1935), along with her friend Ellen Gates Starr, established Chicago's social settlement Hull-House, in 1889. With the simple desire to alleviate poverty and cultural deprivation in a west side neighborhood, Addams and the Hull-House women found themselves tackling enormous social issues. Their efforts and solutions brought the settlement international acclaim, and Addams' work for peace earned her the Nobel Peace Prize. Baldwin's portrayal illustrates Addams' warmth and strength of character as she struggled against convention, sought purpose for her life, and resolved to meet poverty, disorder, and human degradation head on.
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COCO CHANELGabrielle Chanel (1883-1971) was the most influential designer of the 20th century, as copied and admired today as she was in her lifetime. In the process of designing clothes based on simplicity and freedom of movement, Chanel popularized the little black dress, lifted the taboo on women in pants, and advocated pearls with casual attire. The versatile Chanel suit continues to appeal, and when we think of perfume, Chanel No. 5 comes first to mind. The quintessential independent woman, Chanel had an innate business sense and an enviable capacity for work. Lively and frank, the unforgettable "Coco" will share her fashion theories, reveal her business secrets, and candidly discuss the men in her life and their influences on her work. -Cathy Tantau, Pro-Youth/Heart Benefit Chair, Visalia, California -Lenore Gordon, LaGrange Allied Arts
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| Journalist, Correspondent, Syndicated Columnist DOROTHY THOMPSONFor twenty years, between the late 1930s and late 1950s, Dorothy Thompson (1893-1961) was a force to be reckoned with. Her opinions and prophesies were read in a three-times a week, nationally-syndicated newspaper column as well as a monthly column for the Ladies Home Journal. She was heard over network radio and from lecterns throughout the country. According to Time magazine in 1939 Dorothy Thompson and Eleanor Roosevelt were "the most influential women in the U.S." Thompson helped shape mid-twentieth-century public opinion on international affairs and on U.S. politics, while simultaneously advising on family life, education, juvenile crime, technology, and any other subject on her mind. Audiences will be amazed at the similarities between the issues Thompson addressed half a century ago and those that we face today.
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| Civil War Spy ELIZABETH VAN LEW Elizabeth Van Lew (1818-1900) was one of the most effective espionage agents of the Civil War. Believing passionately that slavery was wrong and that the Union must be preserved, she developed a successful spy system and became the recognized leader among the Unionists of Richmond, Virginia, the capital city of the Confederacy. Born to a prominent Richmond family, Van Lew was a woman of high principles and strong convictions. After the war her courage was lauded by Union generals, but for her "betrayal" to the South she was scorned and ridiculed for the rest of her life by the citizens of the city of her birth. Join Miss Van Lew in her Richmond mansion and meet an intelligent, crafty, and independent woman. Praise for Elizabeth Van Lew Performances | |
 The Struggle for Woman's Right to Vote THE LONG ROAD TO VICTORYThrough a series of interconnecting "vignettes," five leaders in the 72-year battle for women's right to vote come to life. You will meet SUSAN B. ANTHONY, beloved leader in the battle for women's rights, whose suffrage work included a fierce fight for the rights of women workers; CARRIE CHAPMAN CATT, founder of the League of Women Voters; LUCRETIA MOTT, Quaker minister, abolitionist, and one of America's most respected social reformers; ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, brilliant leader of the 19th century women's rights movement, who agitated for every radical reform of her day; ALICE PAUL, militant strategist, famous for White House picketing, dramatic parades, and imprisonment for the Cause. Victory is an amazing story of vision, courage, and tenacity.
Praise for THE LONG ROAD TO VICTORY Performances
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SUSAN B. ANTHONY When one thinks of woman's battle for the right to vote, for equality in the workplace, and of justice for all, Susan B. Anthony first comes to mind. She not only captured the imagination of the American public during her lifetime, but she continues to stimulate our curiosity, stir our admiration, and inspire our choices by her courage and tenacity. She became the "mother" of the woman's movement, and she relished in her role, immersing herself in the task of mobilizing the nation's women to "urge on this vast work of reform." Anthony's fervor, persistence, commitment and dignity stand out as she boldly states a case for equal rights for all people. Praise for SUSAN B. ANTHONY Performances
VISUAL JOURNEYS |  |
| Treasures on the Illinois Landscape THE CARNEGIE LIBRARYIn the first 20 years of the 20th century, hundreds of public library buildings were built in towns across the United States through the philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie. Illinois ranks third in the total number of libraries built with Carnegie grants, and Annette Baldwin has criss-crossed the State to record this rich architectural and cultural history. The research expedition found the libraries to be in various stages of preservation and/or expansion and brought delight in not only the beautiful, intriguing, and sometimes strictly functional design of these structures, but knowledge of how they define and enrich the community today. This visual journey will equip your audience to recognize our early library buildings, and in future travel, they may find themselves wanting to get off the Interstates to experience Illlinois history. |  |
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JULIA MORGAN & WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEART'S SAN SIMEONCalifornia architect Julia Morgan (1872-1957) is most popularly known as the architect of the opulent, eye-popping, jaw-dropping experience of William Randolph Hearst's "Castle" at San Simeon. Morgan, who obtained a degree in civil engineering from the University of California at Berkeley was the first woman to earn a certificate in architecture from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Morgan's career produced hundreds of buildings including homes, schools, churches, YWCA's. and club buildings
MARY COLTER'S ARCHITECTURE OF THE SOUTHWEST
Travelers to the Grand Canyon may not be aware that nearly all of the structures at the Canyon are the result of the talents of architect Mary Colter (1869-1958). Among the buildings there that offer testimony to her architectural gifts are the Watchtower, Hopi House, and Hermit's Rest. Colter was employed simultaneously by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad, pioneering in the design and decoration of the stations, hotels, shops, and restaurants that popped up along the Railway's route to the West. This is not only a story of an architect of unique style, but also a history of early travel to the American Southwest.
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| The Passionate World of the Writer LITERARY LOVERSCombining conversation and narrative Annette Baldwin is joined by Roger Westman to give voice and life to the letters and journals of legendary writers F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, Lillian Hellman & Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Thompson & Sinclair Lewis, Elizabeth Barrett & Robert Browning. This Readers Theatre production is enhanced by simultaneous slide images.
Praise for LITERARY LOVERS Performances
Delightful and entertaining. Our audience loved it!
Women Working: By Necessity or By Choice
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A stirring portrayal 
