On Her Shoulders was founded in May 2013 to present rehearsed, staged readings of plays by women from across the spectrum of time, with contemporary dramaturgs contextualizing them for modern audiences. The program strives to make it impossible for producers and theatre companies to deny or ignore the 1,000-year history and value of women's contribution to the theatrical canon. A unique aspect of the OHS Reading Series is the Play In Context component, which includes a dramaturgical essay that analyzes each featured play within its own time and place; a substantial playwright biography; and an introduction by a dramaturg who brings a personal perspective to the dramatist and her work. All readings include a post-performance talk-back with refreshments.
About the Playwright:
Charlotte von Stein was a lady-in-waiting at the court in Weimar, Germany and a close friend to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose work and life were strongly influenced by her. She was also an intimate friend of Friedrich Schiller and his wife. Although she wrote four plays, only one was published during her lifetime (and even then, it wasn't until 1923 that she was actually credited with this play, instead of Schiller!)
About the translation:
Lynn Marie Macy is a playwright, actor and director originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has been working wtih New Perspectives' On Her Shoulders series since 2019, generating the first list of women to be added to the international database. In addition to translating Dido, The Tragic Queen of Carthage, she also serves as the OHS associate producer.
Melody Brooks, NPTC's Artistic Director, is directing the reading.
This program is made possible, in part, with funds from the NYS Council on the Arts, a state agency, with the support of the Governor and the NYS Legislature and with public funds provided by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in Partnership with the City Council.
