“Unbossed and Unbowed,” a one-woman stage play dramatizing the life and political career of former U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, is coming to Synchronicity Theatre from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, just in time for the presidential election and in what would’ve been Chisholm’s 100th year of life.
It’s a poignant and often-comedic production chronicling Chisholm’s evolution from a 10-year-old immigrant coming to the U.S. from Barbados to becoming a congresswoman and being the first Black woman to run for president in 1972.
The 80-minute show reenacts how the resilient trailblazer overcame racism and sexism in her political ascension. “She was a regular person doing amazing things. She knew that being an outsider would help define her true self,” said Ingrid Griffith, the production’s star and creator.
“You get to know who Shirley Chisholm is, where she came from, what she had to tackle, fight against, (and you will) hopefully be amazed by what she accomplished and be ready to go vote on Nov. 5.”
Credit: CALVIN CRUCE
Credit: CALVIN CRUCE
“Unbossed and Unbowed” features Griffith portraying 14 supporting characters, including Chisolm’s parents, mentors, feminist Gloria Steinem and former Democratic Rep. Wilbur Mills.
The play’s seven performances arrive in Atlanta as Vice President Kamala Harris campaigns to become president of the United States. Griffith, who was born in Guyana, called the moment divine timing.
“This story tells us what it took to get to this moment. The fight is continuous, and stories can empower us when they’re told. This is our story; it’s still happening to women in politics and needed to be heard sooner. Now is the right time,” she said.
The play’s origins began a decade ago when Griffith was watching a documentary about Chisholm on television. In 2018, she started regularly going to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library to begin writing the script.
Credit: Tyrone Griffin
Credit: Tyrone Griffin
Listening to hours of taped radio interviews and speeches, Griffith concentrated on perfecting Chisholm’s tone and cadence, reading lines aloud in her home for weeks. Griffith made special effort to capture Chisholm’s lisp and Caribbean accent, although she admitted being initially concerned her delivery might confuse and distract the audience.
“I would just sit there, listen to what she was saying and try to mimic it as I was listening,” Griffith said. “When it was time to do it, I was afraid. I didn’t want it to be laughable. I wanted her to be heard with that same pitch.”
The playwright said her passion for Chisholm’s story and desire to minimize potential production costs led her to create the multicharacter dramatic work as a solo-led show.
“The characters all have great points of view, but I didn’t think anyone would be interested in my script. I’m no big name or Hollywood, but I felt very good about what I’d written,” she said.
In February 2020, “Unbossed and Unbowed” premiered with a staged reading at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. There were two performances of the play at a festival the following month, before the coronavirus pandemic closed theaters. Griffith was forced to put her work on hold.
“It was a false start. I was cringing, crying and trying to keep my spirits up by still reaching out to organizations to get them to still consider it,” she said.
Two years later, Griffith was invited to produce nine performances of “Unbossed and Unbowed” at Lawrenceville’s Aurora Theatre for Black History Month.
Credit: Tyrone Griffin
Credit: Tyrone Griffin
Word-of-mouth from the performances led supporters like Atlanta business owner Mack Wilbourn to contact Griffith about sponsoring intimate versions of the show in private homes.
Griffith accepted Wilbourn’s offer while continuously contacting venues to schedule performances and workshopping the script.
She eventually booked local performances at Renaissance Church of Christ, the Hiram Rosenwald School and Museum, C.H.O.I.C.E.S. Community Teaching Kitchen, Drew Charter School, The Gathering Spot, Roswell Cultural Arts Center and other venues.
In 2023, a performance of “Unbossed and Unbowed” at Out of Hand Theater earned Griffith a Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Social Justice Production. She said the earlier in-home performances were critical to the production’s success.
“It helped the show grow and get to where it is because theater helps us understand humanity more. People have been talking and helping me make it happen,” Griffith said.
In spring 2023, Georgia state Sen. Sonya Halpern saw performances of the show at All Saints Episcopal Church. She said the arts can help make the late politician’s experiences relevant to viewers’ personal lives today.
“Shirley Chisholm broke ground for Black women in politics, with a fearless voice that inspires me as I represent my district and this state. Theater is a space where her story can resonate deeply and encourage us all to work toward the world she dreamed of,” Halpern said.
“Her legacy calls on us to remain unwavering in our pursuit of progress and lasting change.”
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Griffith hopes the show will encourage younger viewers to become civically and politically active.
“Shirley Chisholm is back, and it couldn’t be a better time,” Griffith said. “The younger generation must take the baton and decide how they’re going to help us move forward,” she said.
Oct. 31-Nov. 4. Synchronicity Theatre, 1545 Peachtree St. NE #102, Atlanta. 404-484-8636. theeik.com/event-list.
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