William, Wolfgang, August, and Me

In very exciting news, I have been selected as next semester's dramaturg for the production of Her Naked Skin, a play about the British militant suffrage movement. I started my research yesterday and I thought I'd share with you my first historical figure, Emily Wilding Davison. Emily was a woman who was constantly getting in trouble for her performative actions that were protesting the lack of the vote for women. In 1909, Emily attempted to present a petition for women's votes at Parliament and was thrown out. In 1910, she threw a hammer through the Division Lobby window and was banned from Parliament premises. At the 1911 census, she hid in a broom closet in the house of commons, so that she could record it as her place of residence that day, declaring her right  to exist in that space. In 1913, Emily raced onto the derby track in front of the King's horse. No one is really certain why she did this. Some think it was an act of suicide so that the suffragettes w...

In 1923 actor Wallace Reid died from complications in an addiction withdrawal. In the midst of the star scandals of the day, Hollywood had to find a way to sell his addiction and death in a way that didn't bring shame to Hollywood. The very successful spin given by Hollywood was a story in which dear Wallace Reid had just been so devoted to his fans and his craft, that he filmed movies even when injuries from a train accident were too painful for him to function. This drive and commitment led to opium use, addiction, and death. He suffered from a strong case of "The Show Must Go On." What a hero. As the audience, we are told this story a lot. It's a glorious tale of someone who is such an artist, so committed to their craft, so hard working, that nothing can hold them back. Not sure what I'm talking about? Here's some examples. Bernadette Peters sings Rose's Turn on the Tonys and collapses backstage after with the flu. Tom Cruise breaks his foot ...