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Writing one-person plays about famous women is my special passion! This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, because there are so many great women whose stories are not well known. I began by reading tons of biographies, searching for one that really set my imagination on fire. That happened about five years ago, when I read Dava Sobel’s Galileo’s Daughter. As I got to know Suor Maria Celeste through her letters to her father, I thought, “This is the woman I have to start with! If she were alive today, we’d probably have pretty much the same philosophy on life!” That sense of personal connection prompted me to make my plays more than a simple re-telling of each woman’s life. In each case, I look for what I feel is the lesson the woman’s life embodied, the message she would like to share with us today. In my play about Maria, Most Affectionate Daughter, that message teaches us that religion and science needn’t be at odds. They are really more similar than dissimilar. My second piece, Daring to Dream, tells the story of Amelia Earhart and carries the message wrapped in its title: Go after your dreams. A lot of people thought Amelia was crazy and/or reckless. She often took off in planes that were inadequately equipped or took chances. But she knew what she wanted to do, and she didn’t let anyone stand in her way. Ghosts of the Desert focuses on Gertrude Bell, a British spy in the Middle East during World War I. Perhaps the most serious of my works, it urges respect and consideration for different countries and cultures. It also has great relevance to world events today. La Vie Divine, by contrast, is much more light-hearted. It “stars” Sarah Bernhardt, the flamboyant French actress who lived her life on a grand scale. As befits her life, the message here is that life rewards those who live with great passion. Another great woman was Abigail Adams, wife of the second U.S. President and mother of the sixth. Remember the Ladies captures Abigail’s feistiness, her determination and the large role she played in shaping the country. Every time I develop a new play (please see the complete list on the left), I am reminded that these pieces give me the chance to do three things I love.--.researchiing, writing and performing. I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to follow my own dreams. I hope that, by sharing the lives of admirable women, I can inspire and educate others.. Each of my programs is fully costumed, runs about an hour and requires little space, making them ideal for small groups. Only a small table and chair are required. All other props are supplied. Post-performance question/answer sessions can also be arranged. For more information, references or to arrange a performance, please contact me at (239) 592-1137 or Janina@janinabirtolo.com. |
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| Most Affectionate Daughter The story of Galileo's daughter |
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| Daring to Dream The story of Amelia Earhart |
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| Ghosts of the Desert The story of Gertrude Bell |
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| La Vie Divine! The story of Sarah Bernhardt |
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| Remember the Ladies The story of Abigail Adams |
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| Woman Rebel The story of Margaret Sanger |
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| The Black Queen The story of Catherine de Medici |
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| A Voice for the Everglades The story of Marjory Stoneman Douglas |
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