Local Actress To Perform 'Bridesmaid of Barrington Hall'

ROSWELL, GA -- Roswell's Barrington Hall will host a sneak preview of “The Bridesmaid of Barrington Hall," an original work by playwright Beverly Trader Austin that depicts the 1923 interview between Atlanta’s own Margaret Mitchell and the matriarch of Barrington Hall, Catherine Evelyn “Eva” King Baker.

Performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 22-23.

This original script will be performed by local actress Holly Stevenson in a one-woman dramatization of the interview.

At that time, Margaret Mitchell was a reporter for The Atlanta Journal, and the interview was a featured story in the Sunday magazine. In the interview, Baker shared tales of growing up in the area and gave insight into the life of Mittie Bulloch, her dear friend and the mother of President Theodore Roosevelt. The play not only captures the personality of the two women, but also includes a recap of President Roosevelt’s 1905 visit to Roswell, where he visited Barrington Hall and joined Baker for tea.

“I have been thinking about adding a theater element to our interpretation for a few years now and settled on Eva Baker because she spans nearly 60 years of residency at this historic home,” said Robert Winebarger, Barrington Hall site coordinator. “She also witnessed some of the most drastic changes during that time. From her journey as a child in an oxcart relocating to this part of Georgia, through the Civil War, to living out her final years in the home that now had a telephone and icebox.”

Austin has enjoyed more than three dozen productions of her plays. Since 1974, her work has been professionally performed and favorably reviewed in London, New York, Los Angeles, and around the Southeast.

Austin’s musical "Zion!" played the Marietta Performing Arts Center in May 2016 and will be an annual performance each May. "Zion!" also played at New York’s New Federal Theatre with Tony-winner Ron Richardson. Austin’s play "The Wishing Place" was the first play directed by Tony-winner Kenny Leon.

Since 1997, Stevenson has been a teacher/director with the Alliance Theatre Summer Drama Day Camp and a Lecturer (Alexander Technique) in the Dance Department at Emory University. Every spring, she brings her portrayal of writer and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, to Barrington Hall in the annual Tea with Beatrix Potter event.

Performances are included with the price of a tour ticket. Seating is limited. For reservations and additional information, call 770-640-3855.

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