GLORIA: A LIFE Comes to Theater J Next Month

Beginning on March 8 and running through April 2, 2023, Theater J brings Gloria: A Life to the stage. This celebration of the famed women's rights advocate Gloria Steinem is written by Emily Mann and directed by award-winning DC actor and director, Holly Twyford.

Mann wrote Gloria in the wake of the confirmation hearings for Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and five decades after Steinem first began raising her voice and championing the voices of others.

The play is both an exploration of Steinem's extraordinary journey to advocacy as well as an homage to the women who inspired her work, including Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Flo Kennedy, Coretta Scott King, and Wilma Mankiller.

New portions of the play written by Mann update and contextualize the piece in light of the current moment, including the Dobbs decision on abortion.

Audience participation is built into the play's second act, with the cast asking attendees for personal stories about the way Gloria Steinem and the feminist movement have changed their lives, in the style of the talking circles and consciousness-raising groups used by Steinem and her contemporaries. Each night of the run, a different special guest-from a list of well-known Washingtonians in media, politics, art, athletics, activism and more-will lead off the discussion. The theater will also be transformed into a communal storytelling space where stories from community members and the audience will adorn the walls of the auditorium.

"As a program of the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, community is at the center of our work at Theater J," says Theater J Managing Director David Lloyd Olson, "Gloria; A Life will initiate community dialogues each night, and we are grateful to be working with so many wonderful community partners during the more than twenty performances."

The production stars Susan Lynskey as Steinem, returning to the Theater J stage after her role as Mrs. Van Buren in Intimate Apparel earlier this season. Alongside Lynskey, Gloria: A Life features an ensemble cast of Awa Sal Secka, Debora Crabbe, Erin Weaver, Mani Yangilmau, Sherri L. Edelen, and Sydney Lo.

Please check the website prior to opening night for any COVID 19 precautions or requirements. To purchase tickets, please visit theaterj.org or call the ticket office at 202-777-3210. Single ticket prices for regular tickets start at $39. Discount tickets are available for groups, EDCJCC members, preview performances, military personnel and U.S. Veterans.

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