Playwright to do stage reading of newest play

Barrington's White House welcomes Barrington native and distinguished playwright Stephanie Walker for a staged reading of her latest play, "Sophia Hayden Deserves Better," from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27.

Enjoy an introduction and brief history lesson of Sophia Hayden by Barrington's historian Barbara Benson before the reading.

In 1891, a brilliant 23-year-old woman won an architecture contest to design the Woman's Building for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. What should have been the start to a flourishing career in architecture became career-ending.

Throughout the two-year process of building The Woman's Building, the architect quietly endured bullying, micromanaging and undermining until she finally spoke up. In a time when women were defined as physically and intellectually weaker than men, her concerns were not only not heard, but she was sent to a sanitarium diagnosed with melancholia due to overexertion. Silenced.

After the fair, her building was destroyed and she never built another building again. Her name was Sophia Hayden and she deserves better.

Walker is an award-winning playwright committed to radical truth-telling in her work. Her plays are known for mining humor in darkness, the personalization of the political, the complexity of human emotions and the exploration and dramatization of the strength of women.

Her full-length plays include "The Madres" (O'Neill finalist, NNPN Rolling World Premiere 2018); "The Abuelas" (Antaues Theatre Company-Los Angeles and Teatro Vista- Chicago Tribune Critic's pick 2019); "Friends With Guns" (O'Neill finalist, Shared World Premiere-Chapel Theatre Collective/The Road Theatre/Uprising Theatre 2019); "The Art of Disappearing" (Primus Prize finalist, 16th Street Theater 2015); "American Home" (Little Candle Productions 2017); "The Sister House"; "The Box Jumper"; and "The Ordeal of Water."

This event is free and in person. Registration and donations are encouraged; no virtual tickets are available.

Tickets and registration for all cultural spring events can be found at barringtonswhitehouse.com/events.

Barrington's White House is at 145 W. Main St., in the heart of downtown Barrington. Cultural programming at Barrington's White House is underwritten, in part, by generous sponsors.

For information, call (224) 512-4066 or go to barringtonswhitehouse.com.