Vindication: Scenes from the Life of Mary Wollstonecraft

In November of 2018, before becoming Executive Director of ProArts but after winning that year’s Maui Fringe Festival’s Audience Choice Award, for her one-act version of “Vindication: Scenes from the Life of Mary Wollstonecraft,” local actress and playwright Lin McEwan expanded her piece to a 82-minute ProArts production that Michael Pulliam of the Maui News called a “must-see standing ovation-worthy drama…. McEwan’s all-encompassing endeavors, from overseeing the design of costumes, the set and props to her script, co-direction and performance as Wollstonecraft is an absolute masterpiece.” Barry Wurst of MauiWatch raved that “This is a play that needs to live on, be revived often and, like its subject matter, never fade away,” and Paul Janes-Brown of Curtain Call called it worthy of a Broadway run.

Summary

During her all-too-brief life, Mary Wollstonecraft survived numerous scandals, produced one of the greatest feminist texts ever written, and gave birth to the mother of science fiction. “Vindication” follows her life from a turbulent London childhood home to the treacherous streets of Paris during the French Revolution, through love affairs, suicide attempts, and encounters with the greatest minds of the age.

Featuring McEwan, previously seen as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret” and Moriticia in “The Addams Family Musical,” along with notable Maui performers Jason Wulf, Dakota Welch, Noel Overbay, Keith Welch, Sara Jelley, and Jefferson Davis. Co-directed by Lin McEwan and Tina Kailiponi. Filmed by Bob Brooks.