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| Mary (Stacy Ross, left) articulates her vision for Mount Holyoke to her lover, Jeannette (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong). |
When Mary Woolley became president of Mount Holyoke
College in 1901, it was a women’s seminary designed to train women to become
wives and homemakers.
Her efforts to change that emphasis to education for
the wider world are chronicled in Bryna Turner’s “Bull in a China Shop,”
presented by Aurora Theatre Company.
As portrayed by Stacy Ross, Mary declares, “I’m
interested in revolution,” early in the play. However, she had to weigh her
ideals against the need to keep the school financially viable by not upsetting
big donors and alumnae too much.
Moreover, she had a committed relationship with a
former student, Jeannette Marks (Leontyne Mbele-Mbong), whom she named to a
teaching post in the English department.
Hence, she had to navigate the inevitable differences
that arise during what was to become a romance that lasted for more than 45
years until her death in 1947.
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| Dean Welsh (Mia Tagano, right) with Mary. |
Standing in the way of her efforts was her nemesis,
Dean Welsh (Mia Tagano), who often was the bearer of bad news about the loss of
donors.
At first Jeannette lived in faculty housing, which she
hated, but Mary promised that eventually they would live together in the
president’s house, which took years to fund and construct.
In the meantime, Jeannette got a room in the home of
another faculty member, Felicity (Rebecca Schweitzer), who was aware of and sympathetic
to the relationship.
Besides living arrangements, an early source of
conflict between Mary and Jeannette was the suffrage movement. Both Jeannette
and Felicity were strong supporters of
the cause, but Mary was hesitant, afraid of moving too far too fast.
Eventually she joined the cause and became such an
avid supporter that she spent six months with an official delegation to China
to promote women’s rights there.
During her absence, Jeannette had a fling with a
star-struck student, Pearl (Jasmine Milan Williams), but she assured both Pearl
and Mary that she had never stopped loving Mary.
Playwright Turner, a Mount Holyoke graduate, bases
much of the play on the eloquent letters between Mary and Jeannette.
Even though the script is laced with contemporary
profanities, it nevertheless compactly conveys the arc of Mary’s professional
and personal life over several decades.
The one scene that goes astray comes when Pearl
tosses rocks at Jeannette’s window and launches into a diatribe about feeling
betrayed. It goes on too long.
On the whole, though, this is a fascinating look at
a brave woman who was willing to defy convention in order to advance her deeply
held convictions.
Directed by Dawn Monique Williams, the acting is
fine, but Ross as Mary and Mbele-Mbong as Jeannette deserve special mention.
Costumes by Ulises Alcala chronicle changes in
fashion over the years. The simple but effective set is by Nina Ball with
lighting by Kurt Landisman and sound by Lana Palmer.
Running about 85 minutes without intermission, “Bull
in a China Shop” will continue through Dec. 8 at Aurora Theatre Company, 2081
Addison St., Berkeley.
For tickets and information, call (510) 843-4822 or
visit www.auroratheatre.org.
Photos by David Allen
