Shows for Valentine's & Mother's Day

    The following presentations will add the perfect touch

    to your Mother's Day and Valentine's Day events. 

    Victorian Courtship Tea

    How did young ladies and gentlemen become acquainted during the time of Queen Victoria? Why by COURTSHIP of course! Victorian Courtship was a ritual in which etiquette, romance and socializing played an essential part. 

     

    So return to a time of romance, balls, fluttering fans, gossip and scandals as Mrs. Gordon reminisces about her courtship days. 

    Perfect for: St. Valentine's Day, Mother/Daughter Teas,  Mother's Day & MORE!

    "Rita Parisi, as the character of an elegant fashionista from the turn of the last century, regaled her tea time guests with her observation on everything from the new (Filene's) Bargain Annex to the latest technologies of the time. The underlying theme of her performance is the subtle observations that show the more things have changed, the more they have stayed the same."

    -Townsend MA Trilogy

    1908 Tea 

    In 1908, the world was on the cusp of change. The traditions of the Victorians were giving way to a more modern way of thinking and living. Mrs. Gordon,  a woman having lived in both the 19th and 20th century, has a lot to say about all these new changes. Her stories will highlight  technology, sports, fashion, beauty and more. Perfect for: Women's History Month & Mother's Day

    "Rita Parisi presents delightful performances of historic characters. It's clear how much research she does to bring characters to life, right down to the gloves and hats and the activities of daily life. Her dramatic presentations in the voice of the character entertain and inform at the same time. I have attended a number of her performances, and whenever I hear she's doing a new one I make sure not to miss it! Highly recommend as an event for your club, historical society, or school." -Google Review Audience Member

    Born Salamah bint Said, Princess of Zanzibar, in 1844, Emily Reute grew up in a harem with scores of siblings. The royal family maintained it's fabulous wealth and luxury with a robust traffic in ivory, spices and human bondage. The Princess would venture beyond the palace, into the city and plantations where European traders, missionaries, and colonists exercised a growing influence.  There she met Rudolph Reute, a German trader,with whom she eloped to Germany. The Princess also converted to Christianity and took the name Emily.

     

    While living in Germany, she attained the perspective to form a comparison of the lives of women in Muslim society with those of their European contemporaries. Originally published in 1886, Waterfall Productions, has adapted this remarkable autobiography for a theatrical presentation, where the audience will meet Princess Salamah and learn about her life in both Zanzibar and Germany as a royal, daughter, outcast,  wife, widow and mother.  65 minutes with talk-back afterwards. Ages 12 & up    

    "Rita Parisi, as the Arabian Princess of Zanzibar, created a fascinating performance for our Middlesex Institute of Lifelong Education. We not only time travelled through history and different countries and cultures but we also entered the mind and heart of this beautiful princess who crossed so many borders. Thank you for bringing her memoir to life. We hope to have you return to MILE with another production next year." -Augusta Gonzalez