The Abortionist: A Woman Against The Law

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Scott Feiner

A group of people surrounding another person.

Cast members of "The Abortionist: A Woman Against the Law," Broom Street Theater, 2023.

Anyone missing the days when Joel Gersmann was artistic director of Broom Street Theater, or anyone who missed those exuberant years altogether, take note. The company is bringing back one of Gersmann's trenchant plays, The Abortionist: A Woman Against The Law, in a new adaptation directed by Scott Feiner. Sadly, the 1995 play is even more timely now than when it was written given the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning a constitutional right to an abortion. The play is about a real woman, Ruth Barnett, who ran an illegal abortion clinic in Portland, Oregon. Performances will be held at 1119 Williamson St. at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Jan. 20-Feb. 11. Walk-up tickets are available; advance tickets here.

media release: In 1995, the late Joel Gersmann, then artistic director of Broom Street Theater, wrote and directed The Abortionist: A Woman Against The Law. In 2023, the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we’re bringing it back in a new adaptation directed by Scott Feiner.

Based on the scholarship of Rickie Solinger, The Abortionist tells the true story of Ruth Barnett who defied the law and ran an abortion clinic in Portland, OR from the 1930’s through the late 1960’s and “undid, a little, the privileged world of men”.

In keeping with Joel Gersmann’s famous kinoplastic style, actors play mutliple roles, as well as scenery and ‘animated’ inanimate objects (such as chairs with opinions). The cast features Mak Strohmeyer, Edric Johnson, Jon Klingenberg, Cathleen Cross, Kyla Vaughan, Brady Madison, and Lauren Iverson.

Walk-up tickets are available for every performance, and are always Pay-What-You-Can. Reserved tickets are available at www.bstonline.org.

Performances will be held at Broom Street Theater, 1119 Williamson Street every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm from January 20 through February 11.

A special matinee will be held on Sunday, January 22 at 2 pm - the 50th Anniversary date of the Roe v. Wade decision.