An homage to women writers

Young Chang

We are reminded to think of women like Sinonie-Gabrielle Colette this

week. She was a French writer who wrote mostly about women on the fringe

of society during the early 1900s. Her words were daring and honest and

are remembered especially now because it is Women’s History Month.

The Readers Repertory Theater, a group supported by the cities of

Newport Beach and Laguna Niguel as well as the Friends of the Library of

Mesa Verde and Mission Viejo, will put on the Beth Crawford play “Think

of Colette” this week at both the Newport Beach and Mesa Verde libraries.

The story is about an Orange County mystery novelist with a Southern

background who draws inspiration from a woman teacher and six women

writers, including Colette, Flannery O’Connor, Julia Peterkin and Eudora

Welty.

“It has to do with finding yourself and actually reaching your

potential in an artistic field, and this was writing,” said Edith M.

Schwartz, the play’s producer and director. “It’s about women who made

their mark in history.”

Jeanne Nelson, who will play the lead role of writer Mason Brown, said

she got involved in the project because the idea of women writers coming

into their own appealed to her.

“It’s a great part for women’s issues,” she said. “Because this is a

woman who goes through a lot of important phases in her life, manages to

accomplish all the things she’s supposed to, and still recognizes herself

as conflict-filled, because she hasn’t freed herself to be truly

creative.”

Nelson added that this is an important issue for women, especially

when we find ourselves being, well, “programmed.”

“I think that’s the great thing about the play -- it gives women

something different to compare herself to. Mason is finding her self

value by looking within . . . I think that’s a healthy message for

women.”

FYI

WHAT: “Think of Colette”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday and 7 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Thursday’s performance will be at the Newport Beach Central

Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. Friday’s performance will be

at the Mesa Verde Library, 2969 Mesa Verde Drive, Costa Mesa

COST: Free

CALL: (949) 717-3801 for Newport Beach. (714) 546-5274 for Costa Mesa.