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"We are women whose ultimate goal is the liberation of women in society. One important way we are working toward that goal is by helping any woman who wants an abortion to get one as safely and cheaply as possible under existing conditions."

— Jane pamphlet, 1969-1973

"We wanted to create an atmosphere that was empowering in a situation that was normally very disempowering. We wanted to give women some ammunition in their lives, and by acting directly, show them it was possible to take action on their own behalf and on behalf of other women.

—Anonymous, The Jane Collective (from Abortion without Apology Nina Baeher, South End Press, 1991)

SYNOPSIS:

Drama, two act; at least 9 women (at least two African American), at least 3 men (doubling for both genders required); one simple set possible; offers ethnically diverse roles and strong roles for women.

Running Time: Three versions, ranging from 1.25 hours to 2.25 hours, without an intermission

*****PLUS: New monologues-only shorter version, featuring verbatim inteviews with women who used and ran Jane, adapted by Saint Mary's Women's Centre of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Also available: Half-hour version, requiring only three actresses (one African-American), adapted Elizabeth Schwan-Rosenwald and Cortney Hurley of the 20 Percent Theatre Company.

A timely and provocative drama about "the best-kept secret" in Chicago, "Jane," an underground abortion service that operated from 1969 to 1973. This network, run by a feminist collective of mostly middle-class housewives and students, was the one safe alternative for about 11,000 Chicago women of all backgrounds. In all those years, "Jane," which boasted no fatalities and operated in private apartments throughout the city, was well trusted by and commonly received referrals from police, university administrators, social work, clergy and hospital staff. Writing about play's premiere production in fall 1999, Chicago Reader critic Kim Wilson said: "Everyone -- but women especially -- should hear this story."

RESOURCES:

NEW Student Organizing Guide for Productions of Jane by Winona State student Nikki Gruis

Information on premiere 1999 production and Jane history from the Chicago Women's Liberation Union Women's Herstory site.

BEHIND JANE: Interview, WORT, Madison, Wisconsin - Members of the Millennium Theater Production of "Jane" and Paula Kamen talk about the play, the characters and the politics of abortion. (audio clip)

Production and Publication History

• World premiere by Green Highway Theater Company at the Chopin Studio Theater, Chicago, August 1999.

• Production by Millenium Theater Company at the Bartell Theater, Madison, Wisconsin, June 2001.

• Readers’ theater production, Winona State University, Minnesota, January 2003.

• Readers’ theater production, Northeastern Illinois University, April 2004.

• Production, Florida State University, Tallahassee, January 2003.

• Production, College of William and Mary, Virginia, March 2003, March 2005 and November 2007.

• Production, Golden Gate Planned Parenthood, Brava Theater, San Francisco, January 2005.

• Two monologues published in The Best Women’s Monologues 1999 (Smith & Kraus, 2000).

• Scene published in The Best Stage Monologues 1999 (Smith & Kraus, 2000).

• Monologue published in Millennium Monologues: Voices of a New Age (Meriwether Press, 2002).

• Semi-finalist, Moondance Film Festival, Stage Plays Category, named November 2000.

• Finalist, Columbine non-violence award, Moondance Film Festival, January 2001.

• Reading, Venus Theater Company, Washington, DC, October 2005; and at George Washington University, January 2006.

• Excerpted performance by 20 Percent Theatre Company, Chicago, at the Pilsen Arts Walk, Chicago, October 2005; and at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, January 2006.

• Full production by Twenty Percent Theatre Company, Chicago, at the Side Studio, February 17-March 24, 2007.

• Staged reading by Vox chapter at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, October 2009.

• Premiere of a new monologues-only version by the Saint Mary's University Women's Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia. January 9, 10 and 27, 2010.

Photo of Brava Theater, site of 2005 San Francisco Production

Brava Theater, San Francisco, Site of 2005 production

Created on 02/02/2005 10:15 AM by carolsim
Updated on 11/07/2009 03:07 AM by paulakamen