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Evangel University presents one-woman play as part of Artist Series

Published on Jan 29, 2013 by Jennifer Hall

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Evangel University Artist Series will present a one-woman play, “TEA FOR THREE: Lady Bird, Pat & Betty,” on Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barnett Fine Arts Theatre.

Emmy award-winning actress Elaine Bromka will bring to the stage the lives of three first ladies of the United States.

The following day, Saturday, Feb. 9, Bromka will present “Monologue Workshop for Actors” from 2 to 4 p.m. Student actors are encourage to bring memorized monologues for her to critique in front of participants.

The play is open to the public and there is no charge for admission.

About “Tea for Three”

Written by Eric H. Weinberger with Bromka, the play is a witty and intimate re-imagining of three women who suddenly found themselves celebrities a behind-the-scenes look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford. The play reveals the personal cost of what Nixon called the “hardest unpaid job in the world.”

The inspiration for “Tea for Three” came about when Bromka starred opposite Rich Little in The Presidents, which she performed across the country and on PBS.  Called upon to impersonate eight of the most recent first ladies, she ended up spending months studying videotapes of the women.

“These were women of intelligence and grit who suddenly found themselves in a fishbowl,” Bromka observed. “I realized I wanted to tell the story from their point of view.”

The show will open Off-Broadway in June 2013.

About Elaine Bromka

Bromka has more than 30 years of experience in film, television, Broadway and Off-Broadway. She appeared as the mom in Uncle Buck with John Candy, as Stella on Days of our Lives, and on E.R., The Sopranos and Law and Order.

“Ms. Elaine Bromka is a sought-after clinician in actor training as well as a great actress, both on stage and screen,” said David Smith, associate professor of theatre, of his close friend and colleague. “Her one-person performance of three very colorful characters will keep you riveted to the stage. No one, especially those interested in history and political science, will want to miss these well-researched vignettes.”

For more information, contact Dr. Linda Ligate at (417) 865-2811, ext. 7339.

Evangel University is a private, Christian university of arts, sciences and professions. With an enrollment of more than 2,000 students from all 50 states and abroad, Evangel offers more than 100 undergraduate academic programs and nine master’s programs.