Nancy Arnold celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment with a dramatization of a suffragist report.
Nancy Arnold has dedicated more than 50 years to the arts in the region. Her latest contribution is a dramatization of a suffragist report celebrating the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, "Tennessee’s Historic Role in the Victory for Women’s Suffrage."
“Tennessee was the last hope for ratification of the 19th amendment. This short presentation is an overview of the history of the 72-year long struggle to secure the vote for women. Judge Charles Flannagan, current president of the Bristol Historical Association, has researched and prepared a power point of historical pictures that greatly enhances the monologue,” Arnold says.
She became interested in the suffrage topic after she saw Catherine Bush’s “Winter Wheat” at Barter Theatre. “Winter Wheat” is about the vote in the Tennessee legislature to ratify the 19th amendment.
“I was shocked that I had grown up in Knoxville, Tennessee, taken Tennessee history in the seventh grade and of course U.S. history in high school, and I had not heard of this struggle for women’s right to vote. From the play, ‘Winter Wheat,’ I learned about young Harry Burn from East Tennessee and his mother’s influence on his voting for ratification Aug. 18, 1920,” she says. An anti-suffragist from Niota, Tennessee, Burn cast the deciding vote to ratify the 19th amendment after receiving a letter from his mother encouraging him to do so.
The dramatization highlights the historic role played by Tennessee in providing the winning vote for the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving 27 million women the right to vote. It also sheds light on a couple of behind-the-scenes events involving people from East Tennessee that Arnold found of great interest. She wrote the script relying on two books (“The Woman’s Hour” and “The Perfect 36, Tennessee Delivers Woman Suffrage”) and online research.
“The many suffragists during these 72 years endured and persisted under great hardships and battles. During the years of 1918-1920 our country faced the Spanish flu, war with Germany, awful conditions for women and children working in factories and much racial tension. But women suffragists kept their focus and all women, black and white, painfully worked for the right to vote. This history has given me a great appreciation of the right to vote, the importance of a single vote and the significance of a mother’s influence on her son.
“I also think of my beautiful grandmothers, one in particular, Annie Laurie DuPre, who was a strong, independent woman. She lived her early life when women could not vote, but she later did. I wish that I could have a conversation with her about the 1920s. I am wearing her pin on my costume,” she says.
This is not Arnold’s first foray into a one-woman show. She previously created “Grace Moore: The Tennessee Nightingale.” Arnold was inspired by Moore’s life when she earned the Grace Moore Scholarship at the University of Tennessee and spent countless hours researching biographical information about the performer. It was her determination and passion for the performer that convinced Rick Rose, then producing artistic director of Barter, to co-author the book for the full production of “Grace Moore.” Conceived and performed by Arnold, Barter took “Nightingale” on tour to the Chattanooga Performing Arts Center and to the high school auditorium in Jellico, Tennessee, where Moore spent her teenage years.
Arnold has been involved in singing and performing for most of her life.
“When I was 10 years old, my parents took me to New York, and I saw my first Broadway play, ‘The Music Man.’ I was overwhelmed at the opening scene, the energy, excitement, movement, music and the actors. Live theater is magic, not only entertaining, but tells the stories of lives and history, and speaks to my heart and soul. Live theater educates in a compelling way. With live theater, every performance is a conversation and engagement with each audience, therefore, a new experience with each performance.
“I wanted to be a musical performer, and I have had many opportunities to perform with our own Theatre Bristol, develop lasting friendships and at the same time teach and raise a family,” Arnold says.
She grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she was involved with church music, school and All-State choirs, sang for community events, performed at UT’s Carousel Theatre and was a voice performance major at University of Tennessee.
“For four years and two tours of Europe, the UT Singers were my family,” she says. “In the midst of all this fun singing, my practical father told me that he was not paying another dime for my education if I did not get a degree in something that I could get a job in. So, I began music education classes, but I was never going to teach. My last semester, I did student teaching in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, schools and loved it.
“I have enjoyed living in Bristol since 1969, and I have been involved with several leading roles in musicals for Theatre Bristol, soloist for church choir and Bristol Concert Choir, and for 12 years a music teacher in Bristol, Tennessee, elementary schools.,” she says.
During the ‘70s and ‘80s, Arnold was cast in the lead female role in many local theater productions. Some of those plays include “The Music Man,” “An Evening at the Opera,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” and “The King and I.”
“Working with Barter Theatre as a member of the Trustees for many years, I know how blessed we are to have this professional, resident company of artists who are dedicated to serving and enriching our lives by creating live theater in our backyard. I’m so very proud that Barter Theatre at the Moonlite has found a way to keep live theater performing. Everyone in our area should celebrate and support this fabulous treasure.
“Bristol has many important organizations that I have been fortunate to work with. The YWCA was founded in 1858 to support women, helping to gain suffrage and better working and living conditions for women and families. Our local YWCA ‘s mission is to empower women and eliminate racism, and I have enjoyed being a Board member for many years. The YW Tribute to Women is a favorite program. My involvement has been with other arts and community groups, Symphony of the Mountains, Boys and Girls Club, singing and presenting many community programs. In 2017, AAME honored me with an Achievement Award which I cherish.
“The arts promote a ‘oneness,’ which is open to everyone. My goal is to continue to work to support our many fine arts organizations,” she says.
Arnold’s performance can be seen on the Bristol, Tennessee YouTube channel, Facebook page and at www.bristoltn.org.
