Opera House lecture focuses on Lily Dale
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The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center will kick off its Fall 2022 Chautauqua County History Lecture Series with The Spirit Rooms of Lily Dale, a special film presentation and behind-thescenes Q&A that explores Lily Dale's link to the Suffrage Movement.
The event will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, the 102nd anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. The 30-minute documentary film will be followed by a talk back/Q&A with members of the film's production team and members of the Lily Dale Women's Day Committee, which sponsored the film's production.
The film examines celebrated women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony's presence in Lily Dale and her connection to Spiritualism. Regional actress and director Christina Rausa narrates the film and says historically, Lily Dale gave a platform to the Suffrage Movement, noting that "the spiritualists understood that women were equal and of course they should have equal rights; and of course they should have the right to vote."
Local actors appear in the film and play notable women from history including Anthony, the Fox sisters and Mae West. Historical photographs, newspaper clippings, re-enactments, interviews, and voice-overs bring to life the work of these important women.
Admission to the event is free, with donations gratefully accepted.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. A complete schedule of Opera House events is available at www.fredopera.org.