The Mother of Us All 1976

Synopsis
Artists

A unique pageant-opera…

…of 19th century American suffragette, Susan B. Anthony

Music By

Virgil Thompson

Text By

Gertrude Stein

Scenario By

Maurice Grosser

Act I

The Mother of Us All is a pageant which blends history with fantasy. It celebrates the life and character of Susan B. Anthony, the 19th century American crusader for women’s rights. Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson appear throughout the opera as narrators. Some of the characters are historical figures of the 19th and early 20th centuries; others are purely imaginary.

Scene I: A room in Susan B. Anthony’s house. The opening scene, a prologue narrated by Virgil T., presents the quiet home life of Susan B. Anthony and her companion Anne.

Scene 2: A political rally. The meeting takes the form of a debate between Susan B. Anthony and Daniel Webster. The scene begins with good-natured bickering and teasing among members of the audience – Jo the Loiterer, Chris the Citizen, and Angel More. The debate begins as Susan B. asks the audience to cease their chatter. The debate itself consists of bits and pieces of actual speeches of the two participants. As the debate comes to an end, the others return to their teasing.

Scene 3: In front of Susan B. Anthony’s house. Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens become involved in a political argument, as they always do when they meet. John Adams courts Constance Fletcher with great style and no success, as he always does when they meet. The scene ends with comments by Chris and Jo and the others on the quarrelsome nature of man.

Scene 4: The same. Susan B. considers the difficulties of the women’s suffrage movement. She sees a vision of a Negro man and woman and realizes that, although she fought to enable him to vote, she herself still cannot vote. Even the three VIP’s – Andrew Johnson, Thaddeus Stevens, and Daniel Webster – cannot or will not help her in her struggle. Then Jo the Loiterer and Chris the Citizen enter and ask her the difference between the rich and the poor; she answers that as long as her pen has ink, there is for her no wealth and no poverty.

Scene 5: The same. A crowd gathers for the wedding of Indiana Elliot and Jo the Loiterer. During the course of the ceremony, Susan B. addresses the gathering on what marriage means for women, and John Adams again courts Constance Fletcher. Indiana’s brother rushes in, determined to prevent the wedding, but is restrained. As the ceremony concludes, Susan B. confidently predicts that all their children, women and men alike, will have the vote.

Act II

Scene I: Susan B. Anthony’s house. As Susan B. does housework, Anne and Jenny Reefer come in to tell her the politicians want her to speak at a meeting. Then Jo the Loiterer enters complaining that his new wife refuses to take his name. Andrew Johnson and Thaddeus Stevens come to urge Susan B. to speak at the meeting. She declines, saying that whether she comes or not, the politicians will never vote for her laws. But finally she gives in and goes off to the meeting.

Scene 2: The same. As Anne and Susan B. return from the meeting, Anne is delighted at the way the politicians have listened to Susan B. Susan is dismayed because the politicians have come to fear women and have written the word male into the Constitution concerning suffrage. But she is confident that women will some day win the vote. Jenny Reefer rushes in to tell them that she has converted Lillian Russell to the cause of women’s rights. Lillian Russell enters accompanied by John Adams, Constance Fletcher, and Daniel Webster. Daniel Webster is irritated at Susan’s impatience. He speaks with flowery but empty phrases of the nation’s progress. Then Jo announces that Indiana has agreed to change her name. Indiana says that she will be known as Indiana Loiterer – and Jo must be Jo Elliot. All join in a chorus congratulating Susan B. on her courageous fight to gain the vote.

Scene 3: The Halls of Congress, many years later. The occasion is the unveiling of a statue of Susan B. Anthony. As Anne enters alone, happy that women now have the right to vote, the ghost of Susan B. passes across the stage. The others gather for the ceremony and celebrate the event with champagne. The statue is unveiled and Susan B. tells of her long life of effort on behalf of the cause of women’s rights.

Synopsis

Act I

Act II

Artists

Mignon Dunn

Mignon Dunn

Batyah Godfrey

Batyah Godfrey

Aviva Orvath

Aviva Orvath

Gene Ives

Gene Ives

Philip Booth

Philip Booth

James Atherton

James Atherton

Joseph McKee

Joseph McKee

Linn Maxwell

Linn Maxwell

Ashley Putnam

Ashley Putnam

David W. Fuller

David W. Fuller

William Lewis

William Lewis

Douglas Perry

Douglas Perry

Helen Vanni

Helen Vanni

James McKeel

James McKeel

Billie Nash

Billie Nash

Jimmie Lu Null

Jimmie Lu Null

Karen Beck

Karen Beck

Sondra Stowe

Sondra Stowe

Steven Loewengart

Steven Loewengart

Ronald Raines

Ronald Raines

Paul Mabry

Paul Mabry

Thomas Parker

Thomas Parker

Marla McDaniels

Marla McDaniels

D'Artagnan Petty

D'Artagnan Petty

Stephen Bryant

Stephen Bryant

Raymond Leppard

Raymond Leppard

Peter Wood

Peter Wood

Robert Indiana

Robert Indiana

Georg Schreiber

Georg Schreiber

Terry Lusk

Terry Lusk

The Mother of Us All 1976