Stewardess!
by Kira Obolensky
Directed by Noël Raymond
February 9–March 3, 2019
1958. Mary Pat Laffey begins work as a stewardess for Northwest Orient Airlines. While thousands of young women applied for the position, only a handful are chosen. Weighed, measured, trained and smiling, Mary Pat embarks upon a job that she quickly realizes is “unfair.” While her male counterparts can work past the age of 32, Mary Pat and her female cohorts put up with endless weight checks, are prohibited from marrying, can’t wear glasses and must retire when they turn 32.
Set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement and the birth of feminism, this play tells the story of one woman’s fight over the span of 20 years to transform the lives of the women she works with by joining a union, taking legal actions and changing the consciousness of the men she works with. A stylish, entertaining and relevant piece, Stewardess! tells the story of how one woman stood up to a corporate giant and made a difference. Go, Mary Pat!
The Reviews are in
- History Theatre's jaw-dropping 'Stewardess!' humanizes fight for gender equality (Rohan Preston, Star Tribune, 2/11/19)
- We're on a flight through history...delightful and incredibly inspiring (cherryandspoon.com. 2/11/19)
- Stewardess! tells a great story, an inspiring story, a true story (talkinbroadway.com)
- Stewardess! serves compelling tale, but it's too heavy for liftoff (Dominic Papatola, Pioneer Press, 2/10/19)
Inside Stewardess!
- New play depicts "stewardess' whose Northwest Airlines lawsuit changed the world (Chris Hewitt, Star Tribune, 2/7/19)
- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg salutes heroine of St. Paul's 'Stewardess!' play (Star Tribune, 2/12/19)
- Mary Pat Laffey's groundbreaking fight for gender equity
afterthoughts
A lively post-show talk after every Sunday matinee (Feb, 10, 17, 24, March 3). All events subject to change. Free for ticketed patrons.
- Feb 10: Mary Pat Laffey, stewardess, first female purser, equal opportunity fighter
- Feb 17: From Page to Stage with Director Noel Raymond
- Feb 24: Flying the Friendly Skies: Judith Brant, former Manager of WorldPerks Marketing Operations with Northwest Airlines; currently volunteers at the Airport Foundation MS
- March 3: Meet the Cast of Stewardess!
