Winner of the 2023 United Solo Festival “Best Storyteller”, Ann and Me: Or The Big Bad Abortion Play is written and performed by Jessica Bashline, directed by Margaret M. Ledford and was developed at American Theatre Northwest & Syracuse Stage’s Cold Read Festival. The piece is alternately harrowing and an hilarious interactive experience.
Jessica Bashline is a middle aged, middle income, mostly average white lady– who has had abortions. And those abortions led her to study the history of abortion in the United States– because she’s a bit of a nerd. And then she wrote a really big play about Ann Lohman– an Abortionist in the 1800’s and all around badass! And she thought that the abortion chapter of her life was closed, she was almost menopausal after all… But then came Dobbs. And Jessica realized that having written a play about the history of legal abortion in the United States made her an expert in a niche part of legal history that was all of a sudden very important. Ann and Me: Or The Big Bad Abortion Play is alternately harrowing and an hilarious interactive experience.
Jessica’s other plays include: Wickedest Woman; The story of Ann Lohman, midwife and abortionist in the 1800’s in NYC. Finalist, Scrap Mettle Arts Playwrights Festival, Production January 2019 NYC, published by Next Stage Press. Garden of Memories the story of siblings dealing with the loss of their mother and the acceptance of their past. Runner Up W. Keith Hedrick Award at HRC Showcase Theater and Semi-Finalist, Trustus New Playwrights Festival 2016.
A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Tapestry Health:
For 50 years Tapestry has been a leading expert in the community on critical public health issues providing access without stigma, which means meeting people where they are at and respecting their choices while providing health care, support services, and education for safer practices. https://www.tapestryhealth.org/
Jessica Bashline, Playwright/Performer – Jessica is an Assistant Professor of Theater at the University of Miami, where she teaches acting and theater creation. She was the Artistic Director and co-founder of Strange Sun Theater, a theater company in New York City dedicated to creating magical new theater that ignites in audiences and artists, the power of possibility.
Jessica’s plays include: “Ann and Me”, a solo piece about abortion has been developed in collaboration with American Theater Northwest and Syracuse Stage. Wickedest Woman; The story of Ann Lohman, midwife and abortionist in the 1800’s in NYC. Finalist, Scrap Mettle Arts Playwrights Festival, Production January 2019 NYC, published with Next Stage Press. Garden of Memories the story of siblings dealing with the loss of their mother and the acceptance of their past. Runner Up W. Keith Hedrick Award at HRC Showcase Theater and Semi-Finalist, Trustus New Playwrights Festival 2016 among others.
Jessica works as a freelance theater director specializing in new play and musical development, her favorite credits include; Loving Repeating (NYC Premiere), Life of the Party (NYU-Premiere Production of Larry O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin’s new musical), at NYU Steinhardt Gypsy, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, with Strange Sun Closer Than You Think (World Premiere), The Drowning Girls (NYC Premiere). Jessica has a BFA in Acting from Boston University and an MFA from Goddard College. Jessicabashline.com
MARGARET M. LEDFORD (Director) hails from Chattanooga where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Speech from the University of Tennessee. Margaret is the Artistic Director of City Theatre in Miami. She has directed plays, musicals, and readings in the South Florida region, including Promethean Theatre (resident director for eight years), Palm Beach Dramaworks, GableStage, Florida Reparatory Theatre, Naked Stage, New Theatre, Delray Beach Arts Garage, Mosaic Theatre, Caldwell Theatre Company, Florida Stage, Island City Stage, Thinking Cap Theatre, and of course, City Theatre. She studied Cubist-Expressionistic scenography post-WWI at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, is an 8 time nominee for Best Director for the local Carbonell awards and a multiple Silver Palm winner for Direction (S FL Drama Desk awards). Margaret served 6 years on the South Florida Theatre League Board of Directors, 2 years as President. Margaret is a National Reviewer for the National YoungArts Foundation in theatre and musical theatre, a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, and a co-founder and Creator at Mangrove Creative Collective.
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Tickets: $25
Seating/Bar: 7:00PM Show: 7:30PM
This event is indoors.
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Parking is limited at the venue so please utilize the three public parking lots in Town. One is across from the Post Office, one is behind Berkshire Bank and the other is just off Main Street. They are clearly marked. Do not park at Trúc Orient Express Restaurant or the Post Office or you might receive a ticket.
All sales are final – The Foundry is unable to make any returns or exchanges.