As The Wind Rocks The Wagon

"Wife! Wife! Rise and flutter!" That's George Belshaw, on the occasion of the Belshaw family's leaving early in the morning on April 10th, 1847 for the wilds of Oregon. It is recalled with affectionate irony by his wife Kit who, fortunately for posterity, recorded the incident in her journal. All in all, some 1/4 million Americans made the trek across America bound for Oregon and California during the years 1840-1870. This wonderful program pays tribute to some of the women who jotted down their stories. Actress Amy Warner delivers a tour de force performance in this one-woman stage show which tells the story of five women of different age (teen to elder) and temperament (deferential to fiercely independent). On the six-month journey, the various women encounter Indians, buffalo (and, of course, their "chips"), broken wagon wheels, and experience pregnancies (some successfully brought to term in the wilderness, others not), sickness, depression, determination, and hope. Using simple props and costume changes, Warner brings a different accent (as well as a different physical presence) to each of the five women--from the doll carrying Phoebe to the genteel, bespectacled, Lucy Haun, eternally rocking in her chair. Culled from over 25 diaries of pioneer women, As the Wind Rocks the Wagon is both great history and grand entertainment. Highly recommended. (Available from: APL Educational Video, 51 West 81st St., New York, NY 10024.)