Press Release - Thursday, December 05, 2024
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Dana-Thomas House to present one-woman theater piece about Susan Lawrence Dana
SPRINGFIELD - The Dana-Thomas House State Historic Site in Springfield will present the one-woman theater production "Susan Lawrence Dana: A Great Lady Lived Here" Dec. 13 and 14.
Lawrence Dana was a philanthropist, organizer, suffragist, and equal rights advocate who collaborated with famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a home in Springfield where she could advance her ideas about education and democracy.
The theater piece is directed by Kevin Purcell and features local actor Leigh Steiner as Lawrence Dana. Visitors can take a step back in time as Steiner embodies Lawrence and welcomes them into her historic home. Performance times are 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14.
"Susan Lawrence Dana lived as a woman who had the fortitude and imagination to create her own path in a time when few women were given this opportunity," Purcell said. "She was a woman with the curiosity to imagine a world beyond this one and sought to understand that possibility. And she was a woman with a sense of duty to her community who used her influence and resources to help others."
Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Free tickets are available online. Questions can be directed to 217-782-6776.
Built between 1902 and 1904, the Dana-Thomas House is perhaps the best preserved of Wright's prairie-style homes, with more than 400 pieces of specially made art glass and original furnishings.
The site, which is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, will be closed Dec. 24 on Christmas Eve, Dec. 25 on Christmas Day, Dec. 31 on New Year's Eve, and Jan. 1 on New Year's Day.
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