With her caustic wit and sharp tongue, writer Dorothy Parker was one of the most read—and most quoted—women of the 1930s and beyond. In this one-woman show, Claudia Baumgarten brings the incomparable Parker to life, martini in hand, as she takes aim at the Jazz Age and classic Hollywood with her astute observations about society and culture.
Parker was a literary trailblazer in a man’s world, and her sarcastic poems, essays, and short stories have stood the test of time. She was a founding member of the infamous Algonquin Round Table, known for its biting wit and intellectual commentary. Her writings touched on race relations, wealth, social injustice, politics, and sex at a time when women were not writing about such subjects. Before the outbreak of World War II, the outspoken Parker warned of the growing threat of fascism in Europe and helped found the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League in 1936. Barred from joining the Women’s Army Corps because of her age, Parker supported the war effort by lending her voice and reputation to selling war bonds, encouraging women to take jobs that men had abandoned, and writing about the consequences of war on husbands and wives.
Directed by Diana Shortes, Wit & Wrath: The Life and Times of Dorothy Parker is a fitting tribute to Parker, whose influence and legacy as a witty social critic and passionate civil rights activist continues to this day.
Prices:
- Members: $37
- Non-members: $40
- For group rates please call 504-528-1943.
