“I thought it would be interesting to see who the person was behind the history book fact,” says Betty Diamond, the playwright behind Lavinia.
Feb. 4, 2015 – It took an act of Legislature for one lawyer to practice law before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Who she was and how she forged a path for the future of the practice of law in Wisconsin is the subject of the play Lavinia that will be staged for the first time next month in Madison.
The play explores the life and influence of the first woman licensed to Wisconsin’s bar, Lavinia Goodell.
Lavinia – a play about history – is itself making history, with the first-ever performances taking place this spring in Madison, Janesville, and Wausau, and a reading to take place in Superior.
More than a Historical Fact
Betty Diamond, playwright and Professor Emerita of Languages and Literatures at UW-Whitewater, started working on the play in 2012. Diamond became interested in Goodell after conversations with Chief Justice Shirley S. Abrahamson – the pair first became acquainted in 1998 when Diamond directed a play commissioned by the Supreme Court for Wisconsin’s sesquicentennial celebration.
Lavinia, a play by Betty Diamond
Madison premiere:
The Madison Theatre Guild, presented with the Wisconsin Law Foundation
- Performances are Thursday through Saturday, March 19, 20, and 21, at 7:30 p.m.
- Matinee performance Saturday, March 21 at 2 p.m.
The Evjue Stage, Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St., Madison
Tickets are available online or by calling the Bartell Box Office at (608) 661-9696
Janesville performance:
Performance is Saturday, March 28, at 7 p.m.
Janesville Performing Arts Center, 408 S. Main St., Janesville
Call (608) 758-0297 for ticket information.
Wausau performance:
Performance is Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m.
UW Marathon County Auditorium, 518 S. 7th Ave., Wausau
Superior reading:
A full reading of the play by members of the Douglas County Historical Society
Sunday, May 17, at 2 p.m.
Douglas County Historical Society, 1101 John Ave., Superior
Call (715) 392-8449 for ticket information.
“I thought it would be interesting to see who the person was behind the history book fact,” Diamond said.
The play, according to Diamond, is of interest to lawyers across the state because it portrays a crucial moment in Wisconsin’s law history. It explores what it took for Goodell to overcome challenges and to open the legal profession to all women in Wisconsin.
While a reading of the play was performed in March 2013, the Madison Theater Guild performances will be its stage premiere.
“I’m very excited,” Diamond said, “and nervous, of course. The readings were so wonderful. It’ll be interesting to see what happens when it’s in full production.”
The performances are thanks to a Wisconsin Humanities Council grant to the Wisconsin Law Foundation in partnership with the State Bar of Wisconsin.
Pre-show presentations and post-production discussions at the performances will be led by legal and Humanities experts to help the audience explore the history and issues raised by the play.
