Pan Am Betty to visit this month’s Elgin Fringe Festival
Buckle up for a trip back to the golden age of aviation. Historian and actress Leslie Goddard will bring history alive at the Elgin Fringe Festival with her one-woman play, “Betty the Pan Am Stewardess.”
The performance takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Speakeasy at Vern’s, 76 S. Grove Ave. in Elgin.
Tickets are $12 and require a $3 Elgin Fringe Festival Button. Buttons and show tickets may be purchased at elginfringefestival.com or at Fringe Central, 15 Ziegler Court in Elgin. Tickets must be picked up at Fringe Central.
Written and performed by Goddard, the performance shares true stories from stewardesses who served aboard Pan Am, America’s most glamorous airline in the 1960s. These young women traveled around the world, serving champagne to movie stars and cooking gourmet meals in tiny airplane galleys. They also flew into the war zones of Vietnam, bringing draftees to the war and serving veterans on their way home.
The performance will be held as part of the Elgin Fringe Festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 20-29.
Now in its 11th year, the Elgin Fringe Festival is a vibrant, uncurated celebration of artistic experimentation featuring more than 80 performances, showcasing dance, theater, comedy and music, as well as a visual art exhibition and outdoor performances. A festival pass, offering access to all events, is available for $95. All ticket sales go directly to the artists, supporting the creative community.
Leslie Goddard, Ph.D., a resident of Darien, has been presenting portrayals of famous women in history for more than 20 years. Her one-woman plays have garnered numerous awards and critical raves. “No one I’ve ever seen can do an impeccable portrayal as (she does) — (She has) a gift few people have,” said Theresa Choske of Chicago’s Irish American Heritage Center.
All Elgin Fringe Festivals shows require a festival entry button, available at elginfringefestival.com or at Fringe Central. No tickets are available for sale or pick up at Fringe venues.
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit elginfringefestival.com. For more about Leslie Goddard, visit www.lesliegoddard.info.