WestConn Programs Honoring Women’s History Month

DANBURY — Western Connecticut State University will continue to host a series of workshops, readings, performances and a special guest speaker in celebration of March as Women’s History Month. The programs will be on the university’s midtown campus.

All events will be free unless otherwise noted, and the public is invited.

On Saturday, March 11, guitarist Lorena Garay will perform in concert at 7:30 pm on Saturday, March 11, in the Student Center Theater, at 181 White Street (Route 6). A native Puerto Rican who loves the blend of classical guitar and Latin rhythms, Ms Garay has performed as a soloist and an instrumentalist in many Latin-based bands including Trio Sucari.

At 7:30 pm on Wednesday, March 15, WCSU will present a performance of The Vagina Monologues in the Student Center Theater.

Based on interviews with more than 200 women, these monologues are real stories of intimacy, vulnerability and sexual self-discovery. Admission will be free for WestConn students with valid ID. There will be a suggested donation of $10 for faculty, staff and the public. Proceeds will benefit the Women’s Center of Greater Danbury.

Contested Space: A Performance will be offered at 3:30 pm on Monday, March 27, in Room 201 of the Student Center. The historical dramatization, to be performed by five female professors, is based on the 1870 patent lawsuit brought by female inventor Margaret Knight against her co-worker Charles Annan, accusing him of stealing her design for a machine that makes the now-familiar paper bag. The show is a mixture of history, gender roles and theater.

WestConn will host an evening of readings beginning at 7 pm on Wednesday, March 29, in Alumni Hall. Students, faculty, staff and community members will read stories written in a workshop with writer and teacher Cindy Hanson. The focus will be on finding the unique and interesting story inside every person.

Concluding the series, Doris “Granny D” Haddock will speak at 3 pm on Sunday, April 2, in White Hall’s Ives Concert Hall.

In 1999 at the age of 89, the New Hampshire native embarked on a 3,200-mile tour of America, walking ten miles a day, to promote removal of “soft money” in political campaign funding. In 2003 and 2004, she toured the country again, this time focusing on the “swing states,” where she encouraged women and residents of poor neighborhoods to vote.

Former President Jimmy Carter said, “Doris Haddock is a true patriot, and our nation has been blessed by her remarkable life. Her story will entertain, inform and inspire people of all ages for generations to come,” he said, referring to her memoir Granny D: You’re Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell, which details her life and activism. A reception will follow the talk.

For more information about Women’s History Month celebration events, call Professor of Communication Dr Lisa Davis at 837-8873, Assistant Professor of Communication Dr Katy Wiss at 837-8260, or the Office of University Relations at 837-8486.