Photograph courtesy of Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre July 2002 production of "Finding Clara," director Bill Gregg.
 | STORY |
Finding Clara, a tragedy with humor in 3-acts, is a story about two people - one black and one white - who fall in love exactly in the wrong time and place, with far-reaching consequences. Parallel stories of the fictional character of Mary Victoria Woolson (a North Carolina cotton mill worker) and the real life of silent screen actress Clara Bow (the "IT" girl) unfold against the explosive background of pre-depression 1929 America. Two murders form the axis upon which the plot revolves, set against the crucible of the infamous Loray Mill Strike in the South. Finding Clara is a play about lost hopes and dreams, about violence and racial hatred, and about the power of Hollywood to influence our actions and desires.
| PRODUCTION HISTORY |
Equity Production, Southern
Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 2002
Reading, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 2001
Developmental Workshop, Greensboro Cultural Center, 2000
Other: Readings of play in New Hampshire, 2003; scene presentation in
Gastonia, 2004
| AWARDS |
Silver Medal: Pinter Drama Review Prize, 2003
Winner: Southern Appalachian Repertory
Theatre New Plays Competition, 2001-2002
North Carolina Arts Council Literature Fellowship,
2001-2002
Finalist: Mockingbird Theatre New Plays Contest, 2001
Piedmont Regional Artist Grant, 2000
| SELECTION |
FROM ACT I, SCENE 1
Character Description (Mary Victoria): A gentle soul... and a dreamer. Obsessed with picture shows and a big fan of silent screen actress Clara Bow. Mary Victoria writes letters to Clara throughout the 1920s and believes she is working in the cotton mills just until she "is discovered, like Clara."
(MARY VICTORIA SLOWLY TAKES OUT A SMALL BOX HIDDEN IN HER WHEELCHAIR WHICH
CONTAINS A LITTLE FIELD MOUSE. FROM HER POCKET SHE ALSO
TAKES OUT A FEW MORSELS OF CEREAL SAVED FROM HER BREAKFAST.)
Have a little cereal, Mickey. Wheaties is the breakfast of champions.
Soon you'll be strong enough and I'll set you back out in that nice little
garden over by the big apple tree.
(STARTS SINGING REFRAIN FROM SONG
"DON'T SIT UNDER THE APPLE TREE, WITH ANYBODY ELSE BUT ME, ANYONE ELSE BUT
ME, ANYONE ELSE BUT...)
I remember my first picture show. I was seven. I begged my
sister, "take me, take me, I wanna see a movin' photoplay." I
guess she couldn't stand listenin' to me rattle on, so she gave in. Saw
Mr. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation."
(PROJECTION ON SCREEN OF SHORT CLIP FROM "BIRTH OF A NATION".)
Met Mr. Griffith years later…in Hollywood. You don't believe me?
Later, I'll show you a picture I got of me and him. For what seemed like an eternity,
I sat still, dead still, not moving, not practically breathing, watching the horses
and soldiers. People cheered when the white hooded men rode in. Didn't know then who
those fellas was supposed to be. I cheered too. It was all so big. I
felt if I just stood up and walked towards that big ol' white screen, I could be
part of that world, I could be right in there with them.
(PROJECTION STOPS.)
I never was the same after that. I got the stars in my eyes. The very next day
I subscribed to Motion Picture Classics with the money I earned helping Ma with the washin'.
Wanted to learn all I could about movie actin' so's I would know what to do when my big break
came. Clara Bow was discovered "just like that." Miss Bow was my ideal.
She was what I wanted to be. Beautiful. Smart. Her own gal.
And she always got her man. What woman didn't want to be Clara?
|
PUBLIC & MEDIA RESPONSE |
"Based in part on an actual event in which a female labor organizer
was killed during a strike at a … cotton mill in 1929, the thought-provoking play
explores the spiritual bond between a contemporary teenaged Madonna fan and her
grandmother, a "linthead"…" Triad Style
"We are committed to works that explore the history of Appalachia and its people.
June Guralnick's play powerfully captures a part of our unique history." Bill Gregg,
Artistic Director, Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre
"Finding Clara" strikes it rich…the acting is amazing, the characters are colorful,
and the staging… is effective…" Asheville Citizen-Times
"The grandson of Ella May Wiggins choked up Thursday night after watching a play
based loosely on the 1929 Loray Mill strike. "I loved it," said Victor Wiggins,
who saw Finding Clara with his children…"When they put (photographs) up of the
children and I saw my father standing behind them, it just blew me away." Pictures
of the real Wiggins children were displayed behind the actors as they talked about
(Ella May's) death." Gastonia Gazette
|
PHOTOGRAPHS |
You can view a slide show of photos from the SART production here. You must have a flash enabled browser to view this. The file size is large, so there may be a wait until the file loads if you have a slow connection.
If you do not have flash, or have a slow connection, you may wish to view the production photos here.