March is a Special Month for Women Onstage and Off

The YWCA of Greater Harrisburg will be putting 27 women at center stage on March 29th, when they induct them into the Women of Excellence, Class of 2023. So, it’s a pleasant surprise – or perhaps not a surprise at all? – that a number of area theaters this month are presenting shows that place girls and women at center stage. These include:

The Diary of Anne Frank, a play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett adapted by Wendy Kesselman, is based on Anne Frank: The Diary of a young Girl. This memoir, one of the best known of World War II, comes from the pen of a passionate, complex Jewish girl forced to hide with her family and friends in a secret annex as the Nazis deport Dutch Jews to their deaths. During their almost-two years in the annex, Anne matures in a way that’s deeply touching but full of love and humor. This marks the 23rd annual production by Open Stage. March 15, 7:30 p.m., Scottish Rite, Harrisburg. Parental guidance suggested. openstagehbg. com.

How I Learned to Drive, the groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Paula Vogel, is fresh off a tremendous successful Broadway revival. Following the story of a woman’s coming of age through the 1960s and ‘70s, audiences see how turbulent and complex family dynamics can shape a person’s past, present, and future while also providing an avenue for self-discovery and acceptance. Ephrata Performing Arts Center, Ephrata, PA, March 9-18. epactheatre.org.

The Seagull, by noted Russian playwright Anton Chekhov, in a version by Anya Reiss. In Chekhov’s inimitable way of penetrating characters, the play dramatizes the romantic and artistic conflicts among four of his most memorable: the famous middlebrow story writer Boris Trigorin; the ingenue, Nina; the fading actress, Irina Arkadina; and her son, the symbolist playwright Konstantin Treplev. Presented by National

Theatre Live at the Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, PA, March 13, 12 and 7 p.m. gettysburgmajestic.org

Then there’s The Wiz, the family-friendly Broadway show that infuses L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a dazzling mix of rock, gospel, and soul music and resets the classic story within the context of African American culture. Music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others); book by William F. Brown. The Fulton, Lancaster, PA, March 2-26. thefulton.org.

In The Savannah Sipping Society, a laugh-a-minute comedy, four middle-aged Southern women aiming to escape their mundane lives reclaim the enthusiasm about life they had and lost. Along the way, they jump-start their lives through laughter, hilarious misadventures, and the occasional liquid refreshment. Oyster Mill Playhouse, Camp Hill, PA, March 10-26. oystermill.com.

Pippin, a 1972 hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Roger O. Hirson, uses the premise of a mysterious performance troupe to tell the story of a young prince in search of meaning and significance. Pippin tries warfare, promiscuity, tyranny, art, and religion – to no avail – ending up with a woman who loves him, ‘trapped but happy.’ Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, March 10-26. ltmpa.com.

Barbara Trainin Blank is a freelance journalist, book author, editor, and playwright. She grew up in New York City in a house rich in the arts, which are a major focus of her writing. She lived in Harrisburg for 24 years and continues to contribute to regional publications.