On Account of Sex.

By Fourth Wave Theater

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Votes 34

Average Score

2314-square-520 - Bryan Colley

Company Name: Fourth Wave Theater

City/State: Local

Genre: Musical

Ratings: G - Suitable for All Audiences

Premiere: Yes

Warnings: N/A

Venue: The Center for Spiritual Living

Show Times:

Fri, 7/21 9:00 PM
Sat, 7/22 6:00 PM
Sun, 7/23 3:00 PM
Thu, 7/27 9:00 PM
Sat, 7/29 7:30 PM

Description:

Meet the women who persisted for over seventy years to add four words to the Constitution: “On Account of Sex.” Seven leaders of the women’s suffrage movement relate their struggles, triumphs, and failures beginning with 1848’s Seneca Falls Convention and ending with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote. This new musical by Fringe veterans Bryan Colley and Tara Varney is filled with humor, inspiration, and songs of the era.

Cast/Crew:

Claudia Copping
Caroline Dawson
Rita Hanch
Dianna Royer

Music arranged by Tim Gillespie and performed by Tim Gillespie and Sandy Weidman
Written by Bryan Colley and Tara Varney
Directed by Tara Varney

Past Fringe Shows:

Fringeprov
Enlarged to Show Texture
The Man in My Beard
Variations on a Theme by Tara Varney
Voyage to Voyager
Red Death
Chicken Heart
Sexing Hitler
Hexing Hitler
Khaaaaan! the Musical
Lingerie Shop
Jesus Christ: King of Comedy

Leave a Review

33 Comments

  1. Mary on July 22, 2023 at 10:43 am

    Creative, engaging, informative, and eye opening. I highly recommend taking teens and young adults!

    • Ami Varney on July 23, 2023 at 5:33 pm

      This team always delivers great shows. Using actual songs from the different eras was a nice touch. We now all have a better idea about the personalities and determination of the women who fought so hard for a right we take for granted today.

      • Tara on July 25, 2023 at 11:45 am

        Thank you, Ami. Here’s a tidbit for you that we didn’t include in the show: Amelia Bloomer actually introduced Susan B. Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton! There’s a starter in NY state honoring the moment.

    • Tara on July 24, 2023 at 12:20 pm

      Thank you very much for coming. We’re so glad that you enjoyed it!

    • Greg Edmonds on July 28, 2023 at 9:35 pm

      Amazing show! Funny and informative! Loved Rita H and the characters she played!

  2. Barbara A Rues on July 23, 2023 at 12:16 am

    I did not expect this historical account to be so entertaining and engaging! I thought I knew the history of women’s fight to get the vote, but I learned so much, and had the conflicting factions, I’d barely heard about, explained so clearly. Really good!

    • Tara on July 24, 2023 at 12:21 pm

      Thank you for coming, and thank you for the kind words! We must carry that torch. There’s a lot of work to do still.

  3. Laura W. on July 23, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    Fun and informative a la Schoolhouse Rock!!

    • Tara on July 24, 2023 at 12:22 pm

      Thank you for coming! So glad you had a good time.

  4. Angela French on July 23, 2023 at 2:10 pm

    What a fantastic production! We all need to know our history and this is an inventive, clever and fun lesson! Everyone will enjoy it! So go watch it!! We have more to do with the passage of the ERA!

    • Tara on July 24, 2023 at 12:22 pm

      You’re so kind! Thank you for coming and supporting our work!

  5. Jason Radford on July 23, 2023 at 5:35 pm

    Very well done. Talented actors and singers helped make this section of history easy to understand and empathize with the struggles they persisted through.

    • Tara on July 26, 2023 at 11:49 am

      Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.

  6. James D. on July 23, 2023 at 11:37 pm

    Such an informative and entertaining show! Great fun!

    • Tara on July 26, 2023 at 11:50 am

      Thank you so much for your support! So glad you had fun.

  7. Jane Hatch on July 24, 2023 at 12:57 pm

    SO enjoyed this clever and informative production. All history should be taught this way. Learned so much and fun besides. Loved that one character was “Naysayer”!! I rate this a must see 5+.

    • Tara on July 26, 2023 at 11:57 am

      Thank you for coming, and thank you for your lovely words! I also think that teaching history is too often dry and boring, just the names of generals and seemingly random numbers. If more people taught the reasons behind what was done, the cause and effect, I think we’d be much better off as a society.

  8. Jen on July 26, 2023 at 11:32 am

    This show was AWESOME! The music was so great and well preformed. It was funny, and educational, with the little dash of realism that hits you in the gut. Seeing how hard the fight to vote was for women and people of color really puts into perspective the real battles we continue to fight in regards to civil rights. I recommend this show a million times over!

    • Tara on July 27, 2023 at 12:30 pm

      Thank you so much for coming! We appreciate your kind words. Thank you!

    • Tara on July 28, 2023 at 11:52 am

      Thank you for coming, and thanks for taking the time to write this kind review!

  9. Dave Black on July 27, 2023 at 1:55 am

    Great production!
    But that’s no surprise from this talented team that’s won several awards over the years (including Best of Venue and Best of Fest).

    I thought I knew about women’s century long fight to get the right to vote, but you don’t know what you don’t know until you hear talented people share interesting details through story, song, and laughs (wait to you see Fredrick Douglas and Prez Naysayer).

    If I asked you which State first gave women the right to vote (and why it took 42 years for that first State to do it), would you ever guess it was Wyoming!? Wait until you find out why. =)

    Somewhat shocking what politicians thought was acceptable to think, say, act about women over that century.

    This production is a very fun way for society (I hope we can share this with schools?) to see where we’ve been, what we can do to one another in the present and over the course of a century, and where we still have to go. Bring a friend, and be prepared to have a fun chat after the show is over (in the back or in the parking lot, like some smiling patrons have done).

  10. Dagney on July 28, 2023 at 9:09 am

    Great music and script. We had fun and learned quite a bit, too. Thanks for a fun, informative, heartfelt show.

    • Tara on July 29, 2023 at 10:08 am

      Thank YOU for coming! And thank you for taking the time to write these very kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed our show.

  11. Janet Basler on July 28, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    Wonderfully done lesson on history that anyone could understand and stay with fully. As a teacher, I’m very impressed. The set up for the women to be different people, the music to be integrated so well, the timeline so appropriately added, and the energy from all the women all added up to a wonderful time of learning, feeling sad for the last 100 years, and energized to do something about that. Thank you.

    • Tara on July 31, 2023 at 12:47 pm

      Thank you! We’re so happy that you enjoyed our production, but even more happy that it moved you to action!

  12. Bob Merrigan on July 28, 2023 at 8:23 pm

    I know this is the best performance I’ve “Fringed” so far this year … and, frankly, think it may be one of the best I’ve ever seen. Great job people. Thank you for sharing your talent!

    • Tara on July 31, 2023 at 12:49 pm

      Goodness! What a honor! Thank you!

  13. Ruben on July 28, 2023 at 9:46 pm

    Educational. Powerful. Energetic.

    • Tara on July 31, 2023 at 12:50 pm

      Thank you for coming! We are so grateful for your words as well.

  14. Jason D. on July 29, 2023 at 9:17 pm

    High energy, excellent script, great show for a fringe fest venue.

    • Tara on July 31, 2023 at 12:51 pm

      Thank you! We very much appreciate your support!

  15. Jessica Whitfield on July 30, 2023 at 3:41 pm

    Great show! Claudia Copping was especially good and has excellent use of comedic timing. If this show is expanded, please mention Inez Milholland and Mrs. Pankhurst. Also, Ida B. Wells and Lucy Burns deserve more than a mention. And more Alice Paul.

  16. Tara on July 31, 2023 at 1:15 pm

    Thank you for coming! Claudia is great, isn’t she?

    There was so much, and so many people, involved in this story, we had to focus on a very narrow scope of the events to fit it into a hour. Even that proved difficult, as we were having to make cuts for time, literally up through, and after, final dress. Lucy Burns and Alice Paul were major figures in this play though; they were even on the postcards!

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