stage


NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD CAN LOVE YOU, THAT YOU ARE MY LOVE,


DARLING, YOU MUST REALIZE THAT I AM WITH YOU, THAT MY LOVE IS ABOUT YOU, THAT I AM THINKING OF YOU, THAT I LOVE YOU AS


THE SWEETEST WOMAN


IN THE WORLD.” —excerpt from a letter sent by


mary woolley to jeannette marks, july 1900 Diversionary Theatre’s next show, Bull in a China


Shop, falls in the category of “Things we should have learned in history class.” It traces the real-life love story of Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks as they set out to revolutionize women’s education and electrify the suffrage movement. Executive Artistic Director Matt Morrow notes that


this history lesson is a “...surprising, uber-smart comedy that takes an intense look at a time in American history when the women’s movement needed an injection of passion and leadership, and they sure got it with Woolley and Marks. Through the lens of their love story, a community of women, fighting to be heard and seen as equals, is revealed on urgent and intimate terms. This important new play by an exciting rising playwright speaks to our current moment in profound ways: It’s funny, sexy and incredibly relevant.” The rising playwright is Bryna Turner, who cur-


rently lives in Brooklyn, but is originally from Northern California and holds an MFA in Playwriting from Rutgers University. Turner is currently working on a commission for Lincoln Center Theater and was awarded their Emerging Artist Award of 2018. Turner’s five-woman show stars local talent Jo Anne


Glover as Mary Woolley. Glover has worked with MOXIE, Cygnet Theatre (resident artist), San Diego Rep, New Village Arts and Intrepid. She chatted withThe Rage Monthlyas she was walking her one-year-old terrier. “We adopted him about six weeks ago. His name is Phineas, a family name of my partner.” Glover was asked specifically to take on the role of


Woolley, “That was awesome, I had been on a break, a little energy refresher and this was the first play I had read in a long time. I am looking forward to playing a strong-minded, charismatic character and to explore


AND JEANNETTE MARKS: EDUCATORS, SUFFRAGISTS AND SOULMATES by lisa lipsey


TRACING OUR LGBT FAMILY TREE: MARY WOOLLEY


her physicality. She is described as a ‘swashbuckler trapped in a dress!’ If given the opportunity, she would have been much more comfortable in men’s clothing.” When thinking on the style of the play—a comedy,


a love story, a history play—Glover sees a trend. “I have had the opportunity to perform in several historical pieces, a trend in modern playwriting recently is histori- cal pieces written in a language that feels modern. Not to get on a feminist soapbox, but, plays like this one help me to realize the gaps in my own education. I learned about the suffrage movement, but I didn’t know about these particular women, who accomplished so much. The play is a beautiful love story. I have appreciation for their romance, they were committed to each other for the long haul. They were together 40 years.” While preparing for the role, Glover took a broader


look at the era, “It is interesting to learn about where women were in education in the early 1900s and where


lesbians were at this time in history. How much was public versus not, and how they were able to maintain jobs in academia. There is so much good stuff.” Glover hopes when audiences see the show, “They will


be reminded about the need for equality in education and voting rights. They are still relatively recent things— voting rights and education for women—there is still inequity and we need to pay attention. Bull in a China Shop is fun, accessible and I think sometimes when we look at pieces based around history, and around issues, there can be a tendency to think it will be dry. My final hope is that people approach this piece from a sense of enjoyment, rather than just historical intellectualism.”


Bull in a China Shop runs Wednesday, September 13 through Monday, October 15 at the Diversionary Theatre. For tickets and more information, call 619.220.0097 or go to diversionary.org


BULL IN A CHINA SHOP


SEPTEMBER 2018 | RAGE monthly 49


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