The Fertile Ground Festival of New Works is a citywide, multi-week performing arts festival taking place in venues throughout Portland, Oregon and the surrounding areas.

This year's lineup includes site specific theatre, dance, solo shows, aerial performance, puppetry, and dozens upon dozens of brand-new scripts by some of Portland's most celebrated and prolific playwrights.

Schedule of Events:

7:00pm - New Works at Lakewood Theatre: The Madwomen of Richmond

When her father dies, Elizabeth van Lew frees her family slaves. One of them, Mary, has been raised and educated by Elizabeth. Mary goes North to teach in a black school in Philadelphia. When the Civil War breaks out, Elizabeth realizes her old school friend Varina Davis is now the first lady of the confederacy. She offers to lend her a skilled ladies' maid, which Varina gladly agrees to. So Elizabeth writes to Mary. “If you come back, we may be able to do something important.” And so they became what General Grant called “My most useful spies.”

Location: Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S State Street, Lake Oswego , Oregon , 97034

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