Review: SHE PERSISTED at Adventure Theatre MTC

She Persisted is a best-selling book by Chelsea Clinton, and the musical SHE PERSISTED at Adventure Theatre MTC completely does the book justice. 

SHE PERSISTED is led by a fantastic, all-female team of actresses portraying women trailblazers; Sonia Sotomayor (Victoria Gomez), Harriet Tubman (Jordan Taylor), Virginia Apgar (Sarah Chapin), Ruby Bridges (Edima Essien), Sally Ride (Chapin), and Florence Griffith Joyner (Taylor).

Rounding out the cast is Ariana Caldwell who plays 4th grader Naomi. Naomi is on a field trip to a Women's History Museum and has been tasked with penning an essay, but in the face of such inspirational women, she's intimidated...and that's putting it lightly.

Thanks to a little time travel, and Naomi actually gets to meet all these incredible women. She learns vital lessons like not listening to naysayers, the importance of trying, and that you don't have to be perfect all the time. That last one was a great one for my perfectionist 7-year-old to hear.

I did bring my son to SHE PERSISTED and he enjoyed it, especially seeing Harriet Tubman sing her song about hope.

For me, I was taken with all of the performers. There is something empowering, as a woman, seeing an all-female cast. 

I am often impressed when seeing a show at Adventure Theatre MTC, and I felt the same after taking in SHE PERSISTED. It is not a large children's theatre, but what they do, from lighting and projection design to choreography, is amazing. It helps keep a child's attention and often teaches them something at the time same.

After the musical, my son and I played on the playground, which is a very short walk from the theatre, and a women there was telling me how much she loved SHE PERSISTED and that she has been coming to shows at Adventure Theatre MTC for a long time. A long time indeed...they are currently in their 73rd season!

SHE PERSISTED is about 1 hour long and is recommended for audiences ages 4 and up. The theatre is located at the historic Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland.

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