I am embarrassed to admit that before taking this show on, if you were to ask me what I knew about America's First Ladies, my answers would probably be something like: Michelle Obama was on Sesame Street. I think Nancy Reagan wore cool outfits. Didn't Jackie Kennedy remarry after JFK's assassination? These women are in one of the most prominent positions on earth, and yet we know so little about them. So often in the media, prominent women figures are stripped down to the appearances they make, the clothes they wear, and who they are married to. Very rarely do we get an insight on who they are, what they know, what they've done, or how they feel. In a book entitled "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies" Author Kate Brower says "These women go through the entire human experience while living in the fishbowl of the White House surrounded by a pack of intimidating men and women wearing earpieces and staring blankly ahead." These women have to be some kind of brave to take on the White House, and yet, they are rarely acknowledged for it. The stories you will see tonight are fantasized, however I believe that the grace, strength, determination, bravery, kindness, and tenacity are not. Over the last month, I have had the privilege of putting this show together with these eight graceful, determined, brave, kind women who are standing on this stage now to use their voices and show you what they know, who they are, and what they can do. We invite you to look at the women around you- the ones you talk to and those that you don't, and see who they are. Look past what they wear and who they're with. Look at their accomplishments, look at their work, look at what they are becoming and who they have become, look at their skills, look at the joy, look at the tears, look at their hearts, look at their journey- Look at who they are.
Thank you for your support of the Liahona Theatre Department and arts in your community.
Jeanelle Huff
- Director
