Emily Mann’s Gloria: A Life, which opened Off-Broadway in October 2018, airs on PBS stations nationwide June 26 at 9 PM ET; check local listings.
Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe winner Christine Lahti stars as Gloria Steinem. She was joined Off-Broadway by DeLanna Studi (And So We Walked, August: Osage County) as Wilma Mankiller and others, Patrena Murray (Venus, The Death of the Last Black Man) as Florynce Kennedy and others, Joanna Glushak (War Paint, A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder) as Bella Abzug and others, with additional roles played by Liz Wisan (Other Desert Cities, These Paper Bullets!), Francesca McKenzie (As You Like It, Othello, Our Lady of 121st Street), Fedna Jacquet (Ain’t No Mo, The Tempest/Henry V), and Brittany K. Allen (True Right, Minor Character).
Tony winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin) directs the play, which presents Steinem as a symbol of past, present, and future change. The production featured an all-female creative and producing team, the latter led by Tony winner Daryl Roth.
The first act focuses on Steinem's personal life and activism, and the second serves as a "Talking Circle," in which the audience is invited to carry the themes of the play into a conversation of their own.
The production also features scenic design by Amy Rubin, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Jeanette Yew, sound design by Leah Gelpe, and projection design by Elaine J. McCarthy with casting by Tara Rubin.
Lahti starred on Broadway in God of Carnage, The Heidi Chronicles, Present Laughter with George C. Scott, Division Street, and Loose Ends. She earned her first Oscar nomination for Swing Shift, then took the statue home ten years later as a first-time director for her short film Lieberman in Love. She received Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for Chicago Hope.
Gloria: A Life, presented by Great Performances, is also available on PBS.org and the PBS Video app.
Steinem, Abzug, and more were recently portrayed on screen in the FX/Hulu series Mrs. America, with a cast including Rose Byrne and Margo Martindale.
