Flight of the Dove
Synopsis
Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, looks back on the convictions that carried her from Montana suffrage work to two historic votes against war. Memory, public history, and a contemporary narrator collide in a portrait of a woman who kept choosing peace when nearly everyone around her chose otherwise.
Development History
Flight of the Dove is the current iteration of Simpson’s earlier Jeannette Rankin play A Single Woman.
Characters
Speaks directly to the audience and provides the contemporary frame.
Jeannette Rankin at approximately 60, looking back across her life and public work.
Plays multiple figures from Rankin’s life and history.
Staging & Technical Requirements
Sparse and flexible. Projections, recorded material, and sound may establish period and location. Minimal furniture is sufficient, including a small chair and table for the narrator.