‘Historical Sundays’ to hold encore performance of ‘Cornelia in Confidence’

A performance of the short play “Cornelia in Confidence,” starring Patricia Durante will be followed by a delightful light supper,cake, and coffee to commemorate the birthday of Cornelia Bryce Pinchot. The event will take place in the Foundation Room of the Pike County Historical Society at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 18.

Cornelia Bryce Pinchot, wife of Governor Gifford Pinchot, was a 20th-century American conservationist, progressive politician, and women’s rights activist. She was founding member of the Committee of 100 and major donor to the education and legal defense funds of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during the organization’s first years of operation, she has been described by some historians as “one of the most politically active first ladies in the history of Pennsylvania.”

About the performance

“Cornelia in Confidence” is a staged interpretation of a radio broadcast by Cornelia Pinchot. She hosted a regular program during her days living in Washington, D.C. after the death of her husband Gifford Pinchot. The topics she took on were often related to conservation, but when a guest cancels she is left to fill the airtime and chooses to talk “in confidence” to her listening audience, giving them a glimpse into her life and times as a fiery suffragist and politician as well as a wife and mother. Patricia Durante performs as the lady in red, and will join patrons for supper afterwards to answer any questions and have a slice of birthday cake and coffee. The play was written by Lori Strelecki and directed by Jeffrey Stocker as a combined effort on behalf of The Pike County Historical Society and American Readers Theatre, and funded through a grant from The Greater Pike Community Foundation.

Tickets to the dinner are $45 per person. Seating is limited, so reserve early by calling 570-296-8126 or emailing pikemuse@ptd.net.