Pittsburgh City Paper: Mary “Mother” Jones, “a fearless fighter for workers’ rights,” renowned for her “intrepid union organizing from the 1870s to the 1920s [that] earned her praise from millions of laborers as well as the media sobriquet of ‘the most dangerous woman in America,’” will take the stage at Oakland’s Henry Heymann Theatre on Sept. 17, says the Battle of Homestead Foundation.
5 comments:
I had never heard of Mary “Mother” Jones before reading this article and had no idea she was so important to labor in America. That is one of the most exciting parts of theatre to me; that it introduces us to stories we may never have learned about otherwise. I was surprised that the play has guitar accompaniment and am really interested in what the format of the show is. I was impressed by how committed to this project Nesbitt and Dillon are; to travel the country doing this out of an RV is real dedication to a play. Considering the history with Pittsburgh that the article lays out, I think it is great they are bringing it through the city. I also wonder if because it is being co-produced with a folk music society whether that hints to the music style within the show. It is only playing one night but I'd be super intrigued about seeing this.
First of all this looks like a very interesting show and I hope that I can fit this into my schedule. Mother Jones is someone who is talked about in passing but I haven’t actually studied her at any point in my time taking history classes (although we did talk about the battle of homestead.) It sounds like a comedic look at this very powerful historical woman. I’m amazed the the actor sold her home and bought an RV to take this show on the road because she thought that was important. I think some of the best shows that I’ve ever seen have been the cheaper one night trunk shows. Hopefully this gets out there and I think it’ll be a great excuse to get to see Pitt’s theater space which I haven’t seen yet. I also love bluegrass and folk music so hopefully all of that will be excellent as well.
Right off the bat, reading this article I immediately draw connections to Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton. Conceptually, I feel they are very similar, though from a production standpoint they are obviously substantially different. I have never learned of Mary "Mother" Jones in school (though my history teacher was fired halfway through the semester), so I think that this is a great way to educate less knowledgeable people on this important historical figure, just like Hamilton. Still too, the play seems to cast it in a somewhat humorous light - in a world where heaven is an Irish pub. I admire Nesbitt's bravery and dedication to her work, as selling your home and switching to live on the road is no easy task, especially in a line of work such as theater. If it fits my schedule, I would definitely go to see the showing on Pitt's campus, and I'm excited to see if this gains any traction like Hamilton did.
These are the types of shows I love to see being put on, because stories such as this are rarely (if ever) told in today's media. I know I for one have never heard of Mother Jones, although her story as mentioned in this article certainly sounds fascinating, and I would love to learn more, especially since she has a connection to Pittsburgh. Not only that, but the couple who are putting the show on across the country genuinely seem to have a real passion and connection with the piece, which can only help to amplify both its quality and impact. This is one of the biggest reasons I love theatre as a medium, since it allows for any kind of story to be told, from any place and any time. Sure, there are the shows that everybody has seen, or at least heard of, but there are also smaller gems like this that are equally, if not more, important to be put on and told. For, if we as an industry don't work to tell those stories, then who will?
This seems like a very interesting show to go see. I am a sucker for any kind of fiction based off of historical events, and especially for productions based off of real people and real things. Something I found really impressive about this article was the bravery this woman had in literally selling her house to travel the country performing that show. I love that the piece connected with both of them in such a way where they were willing to take this risk in order to share this art with others. I think that they really understand the power and importance of theatre that moves you, and I would be very interested in seeing this show that inspired such action in them, about a woman that inspired such action in those she talked with, especially given the Pittsburgh connection.
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