Past
Performances
2008
Swan Day Performance
Long Beach ’44, a new play by Sidra Rausch
Washington Women in Theatre Join International Celebration of Women Artists
On Saturday, March 29, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. Washington Women in Theatre presented a benefit reading of Long Beach ’44, a new play by Sidra Rausch. The reading took place at the 1409 Playbill Café at 1409 14th Street, N.W. Long Beach ’44 is a memory play, set in the beach town of Long Beach, NY, the summer of '44. Actors included Matt Dunphy, Susan Lynskey, Steve Rosenthal, Mallory Goodman, and Catherine Baggs.
The play follows the adventures of 2 young Jewish cousins who discover a dangerous secret at the beach. Aided by their wounded G.I. uncle, back from the invasion of Normandy, they try to unravel the mystery while their uncle struggles to accept his new identity. This event was part of a new international celebration of women artists called SWAN Day (Support Women Artists Now Day). "Women artists are inspiring. They can touch our deepest emotions or take us on a journey to a distant place or time," said Martha Richards, the co-founder of SWAN Day. "This day of celebration will help people imagine what the world would be like if women’s art and perspectives were fully integrated into all of our lives. The long term goal of SWAN Day is to inspire communities to recognize and support women artists as a basic element of civic planning."
Karen Berman, Co-Artistic Director of Washington Women in Theatre and director of the reading of Long Beach ‘44 said that she was very proud to be participating in SWAN Day. "Washington Women in Theatre was founded to promote women artists and it is important that WWIT participate in the first annual SWAN Day," she said. "This day will give the public an opportunity to focus on the work of women artists and we are proud to present a new play written and directed by women to commemorate this new holiday.”
SWAN Day will be an annual event taking place on the last Saturday of Women’s History Month (March). The idea for SWAN Day grew out of a collaboration between Martha Richards of The Fund for Women Artists and Jan Lisa Huttner of Chicago's WITASWAN (Women in the Audiences Supporting Women Artists Now). For more information about SWAN Day events happening around the world, please click here.
Click here to see Past Performances from 2007
Click here to see Past Performances from 2006
Click here to see Past Performances from 2005
