Phillips’ Mill presents “Voices: A History of the VIA of Doylestown” in partnership with the Village Improvement Association (VIA).
The historical drama, written by Joy Nash of Doylestown, and directed by Griffin Horn of Philadelphia and New Hope, is a celebration of Doylestown Hospital and the women of the VIA who founded it 100 years ago.
The play is set in 1895, when a social phenomenon is sweeping the country. American women of all ages, classes, and races are organizing. Not for social purposes, but for social causes: women’s suffrage, child welfare, the needs of working women, racial equality, and the health of their communities. Daughters. Mothers. Widows. Women. This is their history. These are their Voices.
With Doylestown Hospital’s centennial year celebrations coming up, Nash and other members of the VIA of Doylestown were looking for ways to honor the pioneering women who founded their civic organization in 1895 and Doylestown Hospital 28 years later.
As a woman, a writer, an architect and a community advocate, Nash felt a certain kinship with these women. She admired them greatly for getting things done when no one else seemed to try. “The women of the VIA hired a visiting nurse in 1916 because there was no public health care in Doylestown,” Nash explained. “The citizens of Doylestown had to travel to the new hospital in Abington for anything other than routine maternal care or minor illness and injuries.
“From day one,” she continued, “the ladies kept very detailed minutes of meetings and important happenings — all in incredible penmanship. I was so impressed by their professionalism. Twenty-five years before they gained the vote, these Victorian women essentially started a profitable business. They bought property, founded and operated a hospital, hired nurses and other employees — and it’s all recorded in the VIA minutes.
“Reading these historical records, I could almost hear their voices,” said Nash. “I knew I had to do something with them. So, I decided to turn them into a play. I had to give a voice to these forgotten women. I want everyone in our community to love them as much as I do,” she added.
“The women of the VIA never gave up, and because of them, we have Doylestown Hospital,” said Valerie Eastburn, chair of the Phillips’ Mill Drama Committee and longtime Doylestown resident. “This is a story of what can happen when women take charge. Women are still struggling to be listened to. Through these live performances, we tell stories of our past while addressing the issues of today.”
The annual Premiere Showcase is a selected, fully staged mounting of an original, full-length play, performed for the first time in front of a live audience on the stage at Phillips’ Mill, and produced by the Phillips’ Mill Community Association drama program.
“Voices!” will run for three evenings plus one matinee, July 20 – 23. Tickets must be purchased online at www.phillipsmill.org. Opening night includes a post-performance Champagne Reception with the playwright, director, cast, members of the VIA, and the Mill drama team that produces the Premiere Showcase each year. Opening night tickets are $75. All other performances are $35/$25. Phillips’ Mill Community Association is located at 2619 River Road, New Hope. For information, contact drama@phillipsmill.org or 215-862-0582.
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