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XIX
Synopsis
In 1920, while many in North Carolina favored granting women the right to vote, there was fear the 19th Amendment would open the doors to greater rights for the state’s Black citizens.
Set in Raleigh, North Carolina, XIX follows Adelaide, a black suffragette and newlywed into the wealthy, white Germaine family. With access to the political and social elite of Raleigh, Adelaide plans to use her position for the betterment of the black community. She recruits her best friend, Florence, to enlist black women in the fight for the suffrage as states across the country ratify the 19th Amendment. On the night of North Carolina’s historic (and unsuccessful) vote, Adelaide learns that her sister- and mother-in-law have been working quietly to undermine her efforts. In the aftermath of this betrayal, Adelaide must choose between her marriage and her activism. Jaqueline Lawton’s socio-political drama focuses our attention on the women of an early twentieth-century multi-racial family as they navigate the fight for equality, the compromises of coalition building, and the limits of “family” love across racial and class divides.
Cast Break Down
4W
Character Descriptions
Adelaide (Addie) Germaine (Black, mid-20s) – suffragette, married to Cyril Germaine.
Florence (Flossie) Haywood (Black, mid-20s) – suffragette, lives with girlfriend Bessie DuPont,
Genevieve (Gigi) Alston (White, 30s) – suffragette, married to Sheldon Alston.
Mabel (Mama or Mama Germaine) Germaine (White, 50s) – widow of Augustus Germaine.
Development and Production History
In 1920, while many in North Carolina favored granting women the right to vote, there was fear the 19th Amendment would open the doors to greater rights for the state’s Black citizens.
Set in Raleigh, North Carolina, XIX follows Adelaide, a black suffragette and newlywed into the wealthy, white Germaine family. With access to the political and social elite of Raleigh, Adelaide plans to use her position for the betterment of the black community. She recruits her best friend, Florence, to enlist black women in the fight for the suffrage as states across the country ratify the 19th Amendment. On the night of North Carolina’s historic (and unsuccessful) vote, Adelaide learns that her sister- and mother-in-law have been working quietly to undermine her efforts. In the aftermath of this betrayal, Adelaide must choose between her marriage and her activism. Jaqueline Lawton’s socio-political drama focuses our attention on the women of an early twentieth-century multi-racial family as they navigate the fight for equality, the compromises of coalition building, and the limits of “family” love across racial and class divides.
Cast Break Down
4W
Character Descriptions
Adelaide (Addie) Germaine (Black, mid-20s) – suffragette, married to Cyril Germaine.
Florence (Flossie) Haywood (Black, mid-20s) – suffragette, lives with girlfriend Bessie DuPont,
Genevieve (Gigi) Alston (White, 30s) – suffragette, married to Sheldon Alston.
Mabel (Mama or Mama Germaine) Germaine (White, 50s) – widow of Augustus Germaine.
Development and Production History
- Staged Reading Women’s Theatre Festival - June 2020
- Commissioned and developed by the Women's Theatre Festival NC