Illinois – Performers and Authors

Annette Travels with the Following Determined Women :Lucretia Mott; Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt, who persisted in their drive for equal rights for women are portrayed in one production:  The Long Road to Victory: From Pedestal to Politics & Prison in the Battle for Woman Suffrage. 

Jane Addams, humanitarian and founder of Chicago’s social settlement Hull House, was a persistent advocate for social justice and workers rights during the first great wave of immigration.  Her daring ideas and leadership for international peace earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

Susan B. Anthony, the forthright, passionate and unstoppable woman suffrage leader, was persistent in pressing the case for a woman suffrage amendment in the U.S. Constitution and equal pay for working women.

Coco Chanel, the 20^th century’s most influential fashion designer and business tycoon, pulled out all the stops on style and age with her fashion theories and innovations, persistently demanding  that women reject fashion fads and be comfortable in their clothes and in their own style.

Louise Nevelson, sculpture’s Queen Bee, persistently pushed at the boundaries of art until at the age of 68 she received respect & recognition for her innovative environmental art, and at 85 received the National Medal of Arts from President Ronald Reagan.

Elizabeth Van Lew, whose persistent loyalty to the United States and antipathy for slavery, in spite of her Southern birth and residency, led her to become the Civil War’s most effective espionage agent, all for which she paid the price of life-long ridicule and segregation from neighbors and former friends.

Dorothy Thompson, mid-20^th-century journalist and oracle, whose persistent, nonconforming views presaged today’s social and political conditions, was named by Time magazine in 1939, along with Eleanor Roosevelt, as the “most “influential” woman “in the United States.”

Both talented storytellers and vocalists, Anita and Catherine impart tantalizing tales through narrative and song, inspiring audiences to explore and forge their own stories of individual and community empowerment. The rigor the duo employs in selecting and researching the stories for their shows is balanced by the charming ease with which they bring them to life when they take the stage to perform for enthusiastic fans.

Anita and Catherine have performed in a range of venues from intimate clubs to large auditoriums, libraries, and faith-based and senior centers, with each performance tailored to the requirements of the audience. The duo’s musical repertoire is drawn from Broadway classics, the Great American Songbook, pop hits, cleverly crafted parodies and more.

Praised both for their solo vocal offerings as well as their tight duo harmonies, Anita and Catherine have been consistently lauded for their “smart with heart” engagement with audiences. They would love to share their unique brand of edutainment with you!

Leslie Goddard has been portraying famous women in history for more than 15 years, and her presentations have been seen by audiences in more than a dozen states. Authentically costumed and exhaustively researched, these 45-minute one-woman plays have been adapted from journals, autobiographies and other documents. Goddard is a lifelong resident of the Chicago area and the author of two books about Chicago history. She holds a master’s degree in theater as well as a Ph.D. in U.S. history/women’s studies. Her programs have been described as “dynamic and compelling,” “exceptional,” and “truly outstanding.” In the words of one audience member, “No one I’ve ever seen can do as impeccable portrayal as you do – you have a gift few people have.”

Using excerpts from Mollie’s letters, Cyndee provides a glimpse into the life of a woman in uniform during this crucial time in history. Mollie was stationed in London before D-Day and during the German buzz bombs attacks after D-Day. She was then transferred to Normandy and Paris after its liberation and, because of her fluency in French, was able to act as an informal French translator in social and work –related situations. Finally she was transferred to Frankfurt, Germany as part of the Army of Occupation and witnessed first-hand the devastation of the country. This book vividly depicts her experiences from her first train trip to Daytona Beach, Florida for basic training in October 1943 to the dramatic image of her seeing the Statue of Liberty as her ship approached the shores of the USA in November as she returned home. Mollie passed away in April 2012 at 95 but Cyndee continues to share her fascinating story by speaking to groups including veterans groups, libraries, senior living facilities/centers, women’s groups, men’s clubs, historical societies, and other organizations. She discusses the writing adventure from inspiration to publication.

Presentation includes a PowerPoint slide show and a DVD of a recruiting movie produced by Warner Bros studio, “It’s Your War, Too” in which Mollie had two cameo appearances.   Presentations are for all ages and are adapted according to the audience. Some comments by groups who have attended presentations: Women’s group:  Your PEO program was such a delight for all of us Tuesday evening. From the beautiful display to the informative PowerPoint to your articulate script to the fascinating recruitment film, we learned so much. Your process encourages us all to look for those interesting family stories to tell. AAUW group:  We were unbelievably honored to have you come and tell your remarkable story of your mom and WWII. Our group was completely mesmerized by your presentation.  Yes, I am sure that it is always a little sad to tell your mom’s story especially since her passing, but it is truly the most wonderful way to honor her deeds and accomplishments. We are extremely blessed to have you tell her story and you couldn’t do a better job of keeping her spirit alive.

Institute for Continued Learning:   I believe that Mollie’s War had special meaning for me because it provided me with a rare vicarious encounter with loving family dynamics and a long and close mother-child relationship, which I never had the opportunity to experience. Few books I have read have had the lasting impression on me than yours has, and I never pass up the chance to recommend it to others.  It has been a joy to have become acquainted with you, and a privilege to have been able to help present your wonderful story to my colleagues. You are a truly delightful person, and I will long have fond memories of my good fortune to have met you–and your dear mother. Cyndee Schaffer 1-847-917-4125 Author of “Mollie’s War” http://www.mollieswar.com Fiscal 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Road Scholar from Illinois Humanities: http://www.prairie.org/program s/ihc-road-scholars-speakers-bureau Silver Award in the Nonfiction Book Awards: http://nonfictionauthorsassoci ation.com/category/bookawards/ read about Mollie’s War in North Shore Weekend magazine: http://issuu.com/jwcmedia/docs /tnsw_w28# Audio Version of “Mollie’s War” is now on the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.

Popular programs include:

Not Like Joan of Arc - Stories about fascinating women warriors you've never heard of, beginning with the oldest known women warriors (from the second millennium BCE). Toler introduces you to a group of women warriors who turned out to be more important than she expected. And she debunks the myth that women have not and therefore cannot be warriors.

In Disguise – Stories of women who disguised themselves as men to enlist in the American Civil War and how they fit into the long lineage of cross-dressing women soldiers.

From Unwanted to Indispensable: The Real Nurses of the Civil War - The story of how thousands of women with little or no experience with nursing volunteered to serve their country during the Civil War, taught themselves how to do the job under adverse circumstance (including hostility from the surgeons with whom they worked), and created a profession that did not exist before the war.

The Dragon From Chicago - The story of Sigrid Schultz, the Chicago Tribune's Berlin bureau chief and primary foreign correspondent for Central Europe from 1925 to January, 1941. She was one of the first reporters—male or female—to warn American readers of the growing dangers of Nazism. It’s a story that includes working around glass ceilings, keeping the news flowing despite tightening controls on the media, outwitting Nazis in Germany, standing up against pro-Nazi sympathizers at home, and dealing with claims of “fake news” on both sides of the Atlantic, plus a little bit of a conspiracy theory.

"Toler blows past all expectations with this thoroughly delightful, personable, and crucially important history of women warriors."--Booklist