It is highly ironic that Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln, framer of the Emancipation Proclamation, should find herself in such dire need of emancipation herself. Having witnessed the violent assassination of her husband and the death of three of her sons, Mary often exhibited depressive and eccentric behavior. Using this as a pretext, her only living son, Robert, committed her to an insane asylum in Batavia, Illinois in the summer of 1875.
Although being held under close guard, Mary managed to get word to her Chicago friends, James and Myra Bradwell. Myra Bradwell, considered to be America's first female lawyer, and at the time, a prominent figure in the woman's suffrage movement, rushed to Mary's side and to her aid.
Ironic too, that this CD release should coincide with a new inquiry by the Illinois Supreme Court Historic Preservation Commission and the Lincoln Museum, Springfield, Illinois into the legality of Mary Todd Lincoln's commitment to an asylum. At issue: were Robert Todd Lincoln's motives purely financial or did he truly seek to protect his mother from her own eccentric behavior? Mary and Myra chronicles the complex relationship of Myra Bradwell and Mary Todd Lincoln, in the context of Reconstruction America and the woman's suffrage movement.
Mary and Myra features Meg Wood as Mary Todd Lincoln and Linda Callahan as Mary Bradwell. The production was directed and narrated by Elizabeth Peterson-Vita. The recording was engineered by James Vita and features a musical score of Civil War and Reconstruction-era music by Monica Grabin.
Catherine Filloux is an award-winning playwright who has been writing about human rights and social justice for the past twenty years. Her new play LUZ will premiere in September at La MaMa in New York City, where she is an Artist in Residence. Catherine Filloux's commissioned libretto, New Arrivals, for Houston Grand Opera, Song of Houston, composed by John Glover, premiered in June 2012.
Elizabeth Peterson-Vita, Ph.D., is co-founder and Artistic Director of Actors Scene Unseen. She is a clinical psychologist and award-winning theatre director with parallel interests in world history and literature. Elizabeth has directed numerous Actors Scene Unseen stage and audio CD productions, including The Fifth Sun, The Turn of the Screw, Gilgamesh - A Verse Play, Nijinsky's Last Dance, and the American premiere of Jack - the Musical. She is also an actor, writer, and freelance film and theatre reviewer.
James Vita is the engineer and producer of The Fifth Sun, the original cast CD of Jack - The Musical, Gilgamesh - A Verse Play, and now Mary and Myra. He is the Managing Director and Executive Producer of Actors Scene Unseen. James Vita has studied lighting, sound, and projection design with Broadway masters Jules Fisher and Kevin Adams, and has produced the technical designs for all of Actors Scene Unseen's award-winning productions. James Vita's company, Actors Scene Unseen, is a full voting member in the Grammy Recording Academy and the Producers and Engineers Wing (NYC Chapter).
Mary and Myra on audio CD was produced by Actors Scene Unseen. Actors Scene Unseen was the winner of three 2010 Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA) awards for its staged production of A Broadway Christmas Carol and winner of five 2009 MTA awards for its staged production of The Turn of the Screw. Also in 2009, Actors Scene Unseen's CD production of Gilgamesh - A Verse Play was nominated for Best Spoken Word CD in the Just Plain Folks Awards.
Mary and Myra is available now on CD Baby. Visit http://www.cdbaby.com/actorssceneunseen3 for more information about the production, to listen to sound-bytes, and to order the CD. Mary and Myra is also available on Amazon, iTunes, and other fine Digital Distribution channels.
Contact Person: James Vita, Executive Producer Company Name: Actors Scene Unseen Company Mailing Address: PO Box 79317, Charlotte, NC 28271 Telephone Number: 704-533-1187 Email Address: jpvita@actorssceneunseen.org
Web Site Address: www.actorssceneunseen.org
Hear an audio trailer and read more about the production at http://www.actorssceneunseen.org/.
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