The American Association of University Women (AAUW) – Garrett Branch presented a production entitled “Women’s Monologues: A Celebration of Women’s History Month” on Tuesday, March 4, at the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College. Its theme was Trailblazers of Equality & Activism, which highlighted the lives and contributions of women, some historic and some current, who fought for what they believed in and made an impactful difference. About 50 people attended this free event.
The Monologues highlighted 13 women who lived and worked sometime during the past 100 years and who challenged the stereotypes of women during their times, opening doors for those who came after them. Their stories and what they stood for were presented in a short monologue in the first person, with the actors dressed in a similar style to the women they were portraying.
Dr. Jennifer Virts, an AAUW-Garrett Branch member, was the coordinator and director of this year’s monologues. Says Dr. Virts, “Having participated in the event previously, I knew how powerful the monologues can be. I was very excited about our theme of women trailblazers, giving attention to the women in history that have forged paths towards inclusivity, community, and equality.”
She also wanted this to be a learning and empowering opportunity for all ages, and as such, she chose to offer monologue writing workshops for both adult women and girls, inviting participants to perform their monologues if they wanted to do so. “I really wanted to utilize younger voices because they give us a fresh perspective on which women are inspiring the youngest generations,” she said. “Having been an educator for 18 years, I have seen how theatre can be transformative for our youth.”
The monologues were written by the person they were given by and were presented somewhat in chronological order of the woman’s major accomplishments. Judy A. Carbone portrayed Crystal Eastman, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union and the co-author, with Alice Paul, of the Equal Rights Amendment. Liz Gilbert portrayed Margaret Sanger, a birth control activist and sex educator who opened the first birth control clinic in the United States. Shawnna Stringfellow portrayed Lt. Col. Charity Adams, who was the highest-ranking Black woman in the army by the completion of the WWII and the commanding officer of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.
Shannon Tomac portrayed American modernist painter and draftswoman Georgia O’Keefe, followed by Dr. Virts portraying Northern Ireland peace activist Mairéad Maguire, who co-founded Women for Peace, which later became the Community for Peace People, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976. Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White, who became the face of public education about AIDS before losing his life to AIDS-related complications in 1990, was portrayed by Donna Arnold. Kamlesh Gillespie portrayed Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani female education activist and film and television producer, who in 2014 was named a Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17, the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history and the second Pakistani and the only Pashtun to receive a Nobel Prize.
Middle school and high school students participating in Dr. Virts’ monologue writing workshop selected their own woman from history and wrote her monologue. These students were Madelynne Virts who selected and portrayed Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, professionally known as Lady Gaga, one of the world’s bestselling music artists who has produced some of the bestselling singles of all time with more than $93 million in record sales, and Aissatou Tomac who portrayed Associate Justice Sonia Sotamayor, the third woman, the first Hispanic, and the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. Kinsely Virts portrayed Taylor Swift, a popular music mega-star and the subject of extensive media coverage with a vast fanbase known as Swifties. Dame Jane Goodall, an English zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist who is considered the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, was portrayed by 88-year-old Charlotte Virts.
Kendall Ludwig portrayed Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, professionally known as Chappell Roan, a popular American singer and songwriter who has been praised for her unapologetic authenticity and her expression of her queerness and femininity in her music and performances. Last in the line-up was Dr. Susie Mosser, who portrayed New Zealand politician Jacinda Arden, who served as the 40th and youngest prime minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023 praised for introducing strict gun laws in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings and for New Zealand being one of few Western nations to successfully contain the COVID-19 virus in the first year of the pandemic.
The Women’s Monologues production has been a part of the local Women’s History Month celebration periodically over the past 30 years. Originally put on by AAUW-Garrett Branch in the 1990s, the program was championed and enhanced by Dr. Terry Kasecamp, Professor of Psychology at Garrett College, until 2015. In 2019, AAUW-Garrett Branch took on the project in light of women’s rights, equity, and strong voices being thrust into the national spotlight across the country, as they are now. That year, the production spotlighted women who made a difference in fighting for and securing rights for other women during the Women’s Rights Movement over the past 175 years. In 2021, as part of the Women’s Equality Day Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, AAUW’s Women’s Monologues focused on Maryland Suffragists. After a hiatus since 2022, the Women’s Monologues were again brought to the stage this year to the apparent delight of those in attendance.
When asked about her thoughts on the performance, Dr. Virts stated, “We had an amazing group of women this year giving us a wonderful collection of diverse voices. I could not have been more proud.”
Says Carbone, AAUW-Garrett Branch president, “We thank those from our community who joined us for this celebration of women’s history and some of the women who made a difference in our lives today. Both the monologuers and the audience members learned about these incredible women who fought tirelessly for the rights of others and are strong examples of the diversity of experiences and gifts women have always contributed to the health and welfare of our communities.” Carbone continued, “members of AAUW-Garrett Branch are proud to present these monologues and grateful to be supported this year by the Garrett Arts Council, who donated one of their performance nights at the Performing Arts Center for our production.” The branch collected $225 in donations for its women’s scholarship program from those in the audience.
AAUW is the largest and oldest women’s equity organization in the country, operating since 1881. The AAUW-Garrett Branch was founded in 1946 and has been active since. If you have any questions, please visit the AAUW-Garrett Branch Facebook page or go to https://garrettcounty-md.aauw.net/ for additional information.
Photo caption: Top row: from left to right, Dr. Jennifer Virts, Kamlesh Gillespie, Liz Gilbert, Shannon Tomac, Dr. Susie Mosser, Judy A. Carbone, Shawnna Strongfellow, Kendall Ludwig, and Donna Arnold. Bottom row: left to right, Charolotte Virts, Aissatou Tomac, Madelynne Virts, and Kinsley Virts.
