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Thursday, September 14, 2023

"Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies" comes to Basking Ridge this Sunday

Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies
WHEN: September 17 at 2:30 PM
WHERE:
 
8000 Fellowship Road, Basking Ridge on the campus of Fellowship Village.
TICKETS
$35.00 to $55.00 with discounts available for students and seniors.
Tickets are available online at sieminskitheater.org or by phone at 908-580-3892.

Prepare to be transported back in time to the golden age of Hollywood as the Sieminski Theater proudly presents Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies, a captivating theatrical experience that chronicles the remarkable journey of Hollywood legend Bette Davis, featuring a riveting performance by actress and playwright Jessica Sherr.

Hollywood icon Bette Davis broke the glass ceiling for women in the entertainment industry. Trapped by the movie studios who owned her, Bette wrestled with movie moguls, and fought against their unfair system of low pay and meager roles. See Bette triumph over the studio heads’ misogyny to win starring roles and compensation on par with her male counterparts. Her story inspires and empowers audiences to fight for fair and equitable treatment, and to never let themselves be defined by someone else’s expectations!

Actress and playwright Jessica Sherr powerfully channels Bette Davis in her fight against the male-dominated studio system. On the night of the 1939 Oscars, Bette returns home knowing she’s to lose Best Actress to Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara, because the press has leaked the winners. Miss Davis takes us on the bumpy ride of her tumultuous rise, as this tenacious actress fights her way up the studio system to reach the top of her profession.

Through conversations with her mother Ruthie, scenes of her friendship with Olivia De Havilland, her love affairs with revered film director William Wyler and eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes, her dysfunctional relationship with her daughter, her four failed marriages, her groundbreaking court case with Warner Brothers (which she lost), and being subject to ageism in Hollywood, we experience Bette’s most defining and most vulnerable moments: her courageous battle against sexism and inequity.

Bette Davis Ain’t for Sissies, directed by Karen Carpenter, gives audiences a humanizing experience into the mind of a global icon whose voice could not remain silent. Her battles and victories were generations ago, but her story is an inspiration for today, empowering audiences to stand up and fight for what they believe in. Forever!

Now Available: Enjoy an up-scale, sumptuous Sunday Brunch, with a full ala carte menu and pricing, before any Sunday matinee. Just steps away from the theater in our Terrace View Restaurant. For more info or to make a reservation call 908-580-3818.

About the Sieminski Theater
: Bringing a professional performing arts venue with a diverse lineup of entertainment to Basking Ridge and the surrounding communities makes the Sieminski Theater and Somerset County an artistic and cultural destination. We enjoy a newly expanded performance schedule from American Theater Group, Light Opera of New Jersey, New Jersey Festival Orchestra, Trilogy Repertory, and countless national touring groups. Our intimate, award-winning non-profit venue features technical amenities that rival any Broadway theater. Visit us at sieminskitheater.org to view our upcoming entertainment schedule, where any seat is the best seat in the house.