Susan B. Anthony: Failure is Impossible part of Suffragette State: The Politics of Art & Culture
Location
Barron Arts Center
582 Rahway Avenue
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
Additional Information
Sponsor Name: Barron Arts Center
Sponsor Phone: 732-634-0413
Description
The Barron Arts Center presents “Suffragette State: The Politics of Art & Culture” a multi-faceted arts series that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women’s constitutional right to vote.
Susan B. Anthony: Failure is Impossible
Starring Marjorie Goldman as Susan B. Anthony
March 5, 2020 ~ 7:30pm
Location: Barron Arts Center (582 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge, NJ)
Reservations Essential. Call (732)634-0413
Susan B. Anthony has been portrayed as a dour Quaker school “marm,” but in reality, this important suffragist had a lively sense of humor and she enjoyed having a good time. After teaching for fifteen years, Ms. Anthony began her 50+ years’ commitment to causes that included the abolition of slavery, women’s rights to their own property and earnings, and women’s right to vote, demonstrating a will unbroken by circumstance or obstacle. When the suffragist movement was threatened by an ideological split, it was Ms. Anthony who engineered the reunion of the two factions. Near the end of her life, Ms. Anthony hand-selected the women who were to “pick up the mantle,” urging her successors to be ever-vigilant, expanding and protecting the rights for which she had fought so long and valiantly. “We turn it over to a generation of women who are better-equipped. They have the unchallenged right to speak in public.” Ms. Anthony did not live to see women’s suffrage, but she knew not to give in, not to give up.
Marjorie Goldman shares Susan B. Anthony’s passion for women’s suffrage / women’s rights and for the cause of the abolition of slavery / racial equality. An experienced teacher like Susan, Goldman loves children and recognizes “teachable moments” through which her fierce dedication to human rights is immediately communicated and understood. Through her interpretation of Ms. Anthony, we are reminded that “The world is not truly free…until the rights and privileges of others are free.” Therefore, the task is ongoing and “failure is impossible.”
About Marjorie Goldman
Performing from an early age, Marjorie Goldman’s acting training began when she was a child in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ms. Goldman’s theater experience continued while she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies at Grinnell College in Iowa and with more performances while completing her Master of Arts / ABD, also in American Studies, while attending Boston University. After BU, Marjorie’s self-described “journey of humility through craft” led her to becoming an intern with Theater Ariel. While attending a 1993 event with the Performing Arts League of Philadelphia, a precursor to the Greater Philadelphia Theatre Alliance, Marjorie overheard a conversation with Pamela Sommerfield, Producing Director for the American Historical Theater, and the two talented women began to explore Marjorie Goldman’s portrayal of Susan B. Anthony for AHT.
Since 1993, Ms. Goldman has appeared as Susan B. Anthony in venues that include the National Archives, US Mint, Library of Congress, Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge, League of Women Voters, Peddler’s Village / Cock & Bull Restaurant, and the Rocky Mountain Museum of Tennessee.
About the American Historical Theatre
Founded in 1992 (AHT) is a 501(c)(3) organization. AHT’s Actor/Historians educate, entertain and inspire through Living History. For more than 25 years, their first person interpreters have encouraged audience members to encounter and interact with history, developing empathy and underscoring the role of choice. AHT hopes that by creating a better understanding of the struggles and achievements of past generations, they can inspire the present to use these lessons and create a better history for the future.
Founders William and Pamela Sommerfield began with a teaching philosophy that rests on interactive, experiential learning.
Actor/Historians travel to historic sites and museums, businesses, schools and special events all over the world where audiences benefit from the company’s focused dedication to the fine art of historical interpretation.
AHT’s Actor/Historians offer authentic theatrical performances, dynamic workshops and programs using original scripts and spontaneous interaction with the audience, to bring to life beloved honorable men and women from the past. AHT carefully researches and investigates each of its characters, and all parts are cast with adherence to portraits, accurate historical costuming and comprehensive knowledge of the character.
This dedication to historic detail allows Actor/Historians to interact and answer questions from audiences as well. Currently, the hundreds of programs and plays created through the American Historical Theatre bring the Nation’s most interesting and important historical figures to life, educating and entertaining audiences all over the Nation.