An all-female cast and production team flushed out Chelsea Clinton’s inspirational children’s book, “She Persisted,” turning it into a musical currently being performed at Adventure Theatre MTC in Glen Echo Park.
Clinton wrote about 13 famous women to show young girls that with persistence and a willingness to adapt to change they can be anything they want.
The play, which bears the same name as Clinton’s book, delves more deeply into the lives of six of those characters – abolitionist Harriet Tubman, Dr. Virginia Apgar, student Ruby Bridges, astronaut Sally Ride, athlete Florence Griffith Joyner and Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Fourth-grader Naomi, played by Ariana Caldwell, time travels and meets each of the famous women and learns what they went through to reach the heights they did.
Adam Tobin, the play’s writer and lyrist, explained that the show, “was definitely inspired by Chelsea’s book,” who gave permission and also many notes throughout the process. “We got input from Chelsea along the way.”
Tobin and Deborah Wicks La Puma, the show’s composer and music director, have worked together numerous times since they met as students at Stanford University. They also wrote a musical that was adapted from the children’s book series Elephant and Piggie.
When they learned that Clinton said her children loved that show, they decided to request permission to adapt “She Persisted.”
According to LaPuma, Clinton “said sure. That sounds great,” adding, “She was very supportive.”https://twitter.com/SuzannePollak/status/1842371246610370593
The show was first performed in California is 2018 before moving to off Broadway in 2020.
“This is such an important story to tell, and I’m thrilled that we are telling it during this monumental historic person as the nation’s first women Vice President is now running in the 2024 election as a major party presidential nominee,” said Kurt Boehm, artistic director at Adventure Theatre.
“She Persisted” will be performed Wednesday through Fridays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at both 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. through Nov. 3. It is recommened for children four years and older.
Photo by Alan Kayanan
