Palace Theater Announces A Table Reading Event Celebrating Womens History Month

The next program in the new Table Reading series presented by Gracewell Productions at the Palace Theater, is slated for Sunday, March 27 at 2:00pm. The theme of this reading, supported in part by Timothy W. and Mary Ellen Rourke, is Reflections on the Voices of African-American Women, presented through four one-act plays in celebration of Women's History Month. The plays, by award-winning playwrights Charlene Donaghy and Cassandra Medley will feature both historical and contemporary African-American characters brought to life by actresses Debra Khan-Bey and Nyah Ajeya directed by Phyllis Bash.

The four one acts to be presented as readings are:

How to Fix a Broken Peacemaker by Charlene Donaghy

Love and loss between sisters can be a twisted journey. For Antonia (Nyah Ajeya) and her sisters, life after social distancing during Covid might bring them together to heal from a broken past.

Motherless Child by Cassandra Medley A heart-wrenching piece in which an enslaved woman (Debra Khan-Bey) talks to the spirit of the baby girl ripped from her arms and sold away 12 years ago. This one-act was originally performed in Period Piece, conceived by Susan Cinoman, Directed by Karen Carpenter, and Produced by Tracey Knight Narang.

Take My Advice by Cassandra Medley A news report of a family torn apart by an arrest hits a personal nerve for a woman (Nyah Ajeya) who's been through it before. She has some advice that comes from the hard road of experience. Cassandra Medley is a playwright who makes politics personal. Lifting As We Climb by Charlene Donaghy Debra Khan-Bey will be bringing to life Mary Church Terrell, an African American activist who championed racial equality and women's suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th century. Her words-"Lifting as we climb"-became the motto of the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), the group she helped found in 1896. She was NACW president from 1896 to 1901. Terrell was among the founders and charter members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Table Readings at the Palace Theater, presented in partnership with Gracewell Productions, offers patrons the chance to experience new works in development plus an opportunity for Q & A with the playwright, actors and director and to be a part of the creative process by offering their feedback at the conclusion of the Table Reading.

The series has been curated to include works whose themes are relevant and reflect our ever-changing world.

Tickets are complimentary, on a first come-first served basis. To reserve seats, please call the theater's Box office at 203.346.2000.

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