Play Brings Obama’s Mother Into the Spotlight
Just in case you haven’t yet had your fill of political drama …
A couple of U.Va. alumni are behind the local performance of “Stanley Ann,” a one-woman show that will be staged Thursday, Friday and Saturday at The Bridge PAI in Charlottesville.
The play, penned by 1994 U.Va. graduate Mike Kindle, draws from President Obama’s autobiography, “Dreams From My Father,” and other sources to tell the story of Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham. The show’s press release lays out her remarkable life: “She married first a Kenyan, and then an Indonesian student at a time when interracial marriage was illegal in many states. She then moved to Indonesia, later sending her son back to the U.S. to be educated. Later she returned herself to study anthropology, and went on to become one of the developers of microfinance, small loans given to village women in the Third World.”
This weekend’s shows, produced by 1999 Curry School alumna Jennifer Jones, star Kate Adamson and are directed by Boomie Pedersen for the Hamner Theater.
“Anyone interested in Barack Obama, anyone who has wondered about the experience of living abroad, or anyone who has been a mother, a parent, a child, or a voter will leave Stanley Ann filled with joy, grief, fear, wonder, and courage,” the release says.
Each performance will conclude with a short talkback session featuring a representative of the local branch of the International Rescue Committee.
The curtain raises at 8 p.m. The suggested donation is $10. For info, see The Bridge PAI website; you can reserve tickets by calling the Hamner Theater at 434-361-1999.
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Kate Adamson | October 25, 2012 @ 10:49 am
The actress (me!) also attended UVA as a graduate student in Sociology.
Joyce Hoffman | October 25, 2012 @ 5:04 pm
Great: Kate Adamson, Jennifer Jones and Boomie Pederson and writer Mike Kindle. UVA has the most talented and interesting graduates. Congratulations. Wish I could see it. How about doing the show up here in White Plains?
Joyce Hoffman