Description:

By Suzan Zeder and Jenn Hartmann Luck
Directed by Rives Collins

The Battlefields of Clara Barton is a modern folk/rock musical about the vibrant life of Clara
Barton, a Civil War nurse, a political activist, and a revered founder of the American Red
Cross. In a tumultuous life that spanned almost a century, Clara fought on many battlefields:
historical, political, and emotional. Brought to life by an ensemble of women playing
multiple roles where age and gender are fluid, the threads of Clara’s story run from past to
present with seamless synchronicity, creating a rich tapestry of themes as personal and potent today as they were then. The Battlefields of Clara Barton, originally presented live on the Louis Stage in 2021, will be screened in this encore presentation.

Running time is 2 hours including intermission.
*Best enjoyed by audience members 10 years old and up.

Since 2017, The Battlefields of Clara Barton has been under creative development here
at Northwestern University, the University of Texas, and the Austin Playhouse at the
Paramount Theatre in Texas. This workshop brings Northwestern’s MFA and
undergraduate programs together to develop the theatrical world of a brand-new
musical; all with the writers in the room providing feedback throughout the
monthlong process. The creative team will elicit audience reactions after each
performance as they continue to refine the piece prior to its ultimate premiere.