"Founding Mothers" Explore Women's Roles 

Performers in “Founding Mothers,” an original play presented by the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Marco Island Historical Society, found a very welcoming audience, Thursday, April 9, in Rose History Auditorium. They also enjoyed a packed house of over 150 patrons.  

 The Founding Mothers cast depicted a gathering of women whose husbands signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The script was jam packed with clever lines that never failed to make the audience erupt in laughter. The play is part of America 250, the DAR’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. 

But in between laughs the ladies served up plenty of history of the day, drawing on copious research and letters. The ladies spoke back and forth on the spartan set while waiting to receive news of the Declaration’s signing.  The announcement was made dramatically by the only male in the cast, Tim Smith, playing the role of a continental soldier who spent most of the play acting as a sentry. "Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye,” Smith cried, “the Declaration has been signed!” And the crowd erupted with applause. 

The play dramatized the wives of key patriots, Abigail and Betsy Adams, Dorothy Hancock, Annis Stockton, and Julia Stockton Rush. The Founding Mothers were played by Luann Schieferdecker, Judy Day, Susan Smith, Valinda Bilbrey, and Carolyn Rosenfeld. The wives recounted sacrifices, battles, and domestic hardships of the time, with an emphasis on resilience, support roles, fundraising, and moral courage.