Life, Loves, and Legacy of Emmeline B. Wells

In this one-woman play, dramatist and historian Joan Oviatt portrays the inspiring story of Emmeline Blanche Woodward Harris Whitney Wells, fifth Relief Society General President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of the most influential women of the 19th Century. Friend of suffragist Susan B. Anthony, Emmeline was entertained by Queen Victoria, and received a personal visit from President Woodrow Wilson.

The play shows Emmeline's triumph over solitude, depression, social ridicule over being a polygamist wife, and religious persecution. It tells of her need to be loved, and her struggle to find her place in the world. As a talented writer and editor of a popular magazine called the Women's Exponent, Emmeline spoke out nationally on women's rights and challenged misconceptions about LDS women. Emmeline was born in an era when women were considered legal property, and she lived to see them vote. She was part of the pioneer struggle for survival and lived to see motor-powered automobiles. Her life fulfilled a blessing she received at age 15, which promised, 'You will live to do a work that has never been done by a woman since the creation.'