Stage Aurora presents, "A Virtuous Woman," developmental reading.
"A Virtuous Woman," gives voice to women of every walk of life. This powerful project brings balance and reclaims stories that have been clouded by the male perspective. “A Virtuous Woman” deals with the themes of women’s rights, empowerment, equality, love, and the loss of children.
It follows the journey of Shani, a highly intelligent inquisitive young lady and orphan, seeking more knowledge of becoming a better woman. She enters a library to read as many stories as she can. The head librarian leads Shani through the lives of women often untold.
The opening is a carefully choreographed, half-danced/half-mimed ballet of sorts. It demonstrates the complexities of Women in all their glorious light led by the Matriarchal Woman. A Reality TV Judge debates the social pressure of fertility and the modern commodification of this gift in the case of Sarah vs Hannah. Daughters of Z, Six sisters, with a deceased father and no male connections fight for the rights to their own land. Eve steps forward to tell her story: A mother witnessing the death of her babies, one lost to murder and the other sentenced to life in prison. Jochebel, a mother of a newborn, does what she has to do to save her baby’s life inspired to speak because of The Black Lives Movement. Finally, Mary, a teenage mother, describes how she withood the scorn of everyone around her for the greater good.
Sponsored in part by: West Harlem Development Corporation, Columbia University, Theater Authority Inc., A.R.T. NY, Indie Space, Actors Equity.
Stage Aurora NY, founded in 2021, has produced 50+ productions of award-winning theater in NY. Our goal is to build bridges of understanding between cultures in relation to the human experience through ‘theater that enlightens.’
