Treadwell: Bright and Dark presented by The American Century Theater at Theater On The Run

The play is a new work by Helen Hayes-nominated playwright and actress Allyson Currin. She has undertaken the daunting task of exploring the complex personality and many faceted career of Treadwell, who throughout a long career fiercely applied her talents as a writer, poet, thinker and playwright to professions where women were neither respected nor welcome. Her triumphs included a sensational in person interview with the Mexican bandit, Pancho Villa, an expressionist stage masterpiece, Machinal, that is regarded as a classic (and was produced by TACT in 2004), and victory in a courageous lawsuit against actor John Barrymore, who had tried to steal one of her plays. But there were defeats and humiliations too, Sophie Treadwell battled personal demons that threatened her happiness and even her sanity. Throughout her long life, and often in her plays and novels, she wrestled with a question that still challenges women today: how can a woman in America fulfill all of the roles expected of her without losing herself? Please note that this is not TACT's usual performance venue