Playreading – The Lady Flyer By Gwen Armstrong

PLACE: Media Arts Council, 11 East State Street, Media, PA, 19063

The town of Stephens Bend has seen better days. It is April 20th, 1987, the final meeting of the Stephen’s Bend Women’s Club. Jessica Allen – recent college graduate and aspiring reporter with the local weekly newspaper, is there to do a “practice article” on the history of the women’s club and the last meeting. As she is meeting the remaining club members and beginning to understand their stories, Catherine Oaks, iconic photographer/journalist and the “most famous person ever to come out of Stephen’s Bend” arrives. Catherine’s mother was the president of the club for many years and she is here to bear witness to the final meeting, but she’s also bringing troubles of her own.

About the Playwright: A graduate of Temple University’s theater program and former Hedgerow Theater company member, Gwen has had three previous plays (including a very early draft of “The Lady Flyer) produced many, many years ago at Hedgerow Theater. More recently, she’s had two short plays produced at Old Academy Players (“Our Own Little World”) and Chapel Street Players (“Morning on Mimosa Lane”). Gwen has also directed and acted at a number of theaters in Philadelphia, Delaware County and Delaware. Favorite productions include “Reasons to be Pretty” and “Lion in Winter” at Chapel Street and “The Nerd” and “Crimes of the Heart” at Wilmington Drama League. Favorite roles include Kate in “Sylvia” (Spotlight), Emily in “Afterplay” (Players Club) and Fraulein Schneider in “Cabaret” (Spotlight). Gwen would like to thank everyone at Media Arts Council- especially Julie Zaffarano and Dave Ebersole- for an incredibly supportive process that’s added much to the script. Gwen would like to dedicate this play to her Mom and all the amazing women who mothered her. Much love, as always, to John and Chase.

About the Series: The Media Arts Council (MAC) Play Reading Series was created by playwrights Julie Zaffarano, Dave Ebersole, and Keenya Jackson, in partnership with the MAC to create a space for local playwrights to hear their work read by talented actors and receive feedback from a public audience. The only regular new play reading series in in the area, it brings exciting new stories to Delaware County.

Playwrights, actors, and directors who are interested in being involved in the series should contact Julie Zaffarano, juliezaffarano.gmail.com. Due to the limited budget for this project, we are unable to offer actors or directors a stipend through the MAC.