Theatre Elision presents: Ragtime Women at Dreamland Arts

Theatre Elision presents the premiere of Ragtime Women at Dreamland Arts theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The youth of every time-period finds a style of music that defines their lives, typically in defiance of the older generation.  In the early 1900s it was "ragtime" -- a complex, syncopated form that reflected a changing world -- free, bold and innovative. Many young women were not only inspired by this music but also by the changing times.  They tested limits.  They wanted more.  No longer satisfied to entertain family members on the piano in the parlor, they used their musical talent to compose and perform this new music. Despite their prolific work, most of these women disappeared from our view. Ragtime Women is about four, young, Midwestern women in the early 1900s – Julia Niebergall, May Aufderheide, Gladys Yelvington and Cora Salisbury – who defied conventional expectations of the time to become successful ragtime composers, musicians and performers. It is a story of determination, and the importance of passion and commitment when pursuing your dream.  But it is also a story of the challenges women faced then, and still do today, when seeking to break free of societal norms and expectations. Ragtime Women uses the original compositions of the characters to tell their story, along with other music from the period. Tickets can be purchased online at

http://dreamlandarts.com/ragtime-women-buy-tickets/