Researched, Written and Performed by MELISSA BORDERS STEVENSON

Biologues DVD in production

Melissa's DVD "Sheroes of the West" has been in production and should be available by spring 2007. To express your interest please email timostevenson@prodigy.net.

The lionesses's share of DVD sales will go to the Soroptimist International scholarship fund. Stay tuned to Biologues for further development.

Public Historian, Melissa Stevenson has appeared before over 150,000 people in twelve years. She IS her program as she currently takes on the SOLO characterizations of 39 (and counting) female figures in history in performances of monologues that she has researched and written. Working in leotards, the actress transforms herself on stage !

For University, Lecture Series, Conference, Federal Women's Programs, Professional, Museum, Libraries, Civic Clubs and Corporations

If over 200 miles, ground travel at $.48 cents per mile from Carson City, Nevada or air, ground transport. Hotel and meals must be provided while staying daily.

* Multiple performance tours/residencies are preferred so groups can split travel expenses and fees may be negotiated.

Starting to write and tour scripts in 1972, Melissa has contracted with Calaveras, Tuolumne and Merced County Health Departments to produce her original youth smoking cessation scripts, FEELING GOOD and SMOKEBUSTERS. She won a California State Drug Prevention award in 1972. Theatre for social change has been a thrust ever since and she has toured BIOLOGUES since 1991.

The performer has attended a workshop about English learners and how to make her program more understandable/effective for Level 3 English learners and above

Melissa is a member of the National Women's History Project www.nwhp.org , Coordinating Council for Women in History, National Storytelling Network www.storynet.org and Western Arts Alliance (WAA) www.westarts.org .

Noticing that theatre "reaches" people sensually, memorably and incomparably, Melissa has been using theatre for social change and educational communication. The performances capture the courage and essence of the lives of special women from history. All the characters reflect life lessons. There is nothing like dramatics to bring to life historical study. The women portrayed all forded upstream currents, far from the flow of society's accepted definitions of what women should do or be. A goal is to communicate the courage with which each woman faced her particular hardships.

BIOLOGUES has toured for fourteen years and has numerous references. BIOLOGUES tours year around. The program travels easily needing only chairs in any performing space, however, light and sound capabilities enhance the presentation greatly. Professional stage arrangements are encouraged. Sponsors choose 4,6,or 8 women to complete a 40, 60 or 80 minute program according to their needs and venues. Residency is available in an area or location enabling performances of all or most of the characters within a week's period , as well as master theatre games. Available also are lectures, Preserving History Through Storytelling, Embracing the Power of Women Through Theatre for conference workshop presentation or community lecture opportunity.

A DVD in progress will soon be available called Sheroes of the West . It includes seven monologues, taped in studio to archive western characters from history.

Women in History Month celebrations (March), Arts and Humanities Month celebrations (October).

*To promote the use of the English language and promote literacy by encouraging biography reading

*To highlight history as a thread to the courage and leadership of the present and future

Susan B. Anthony 1820-1906 Susan was a suffragist leader and called the Napoleon of the suffrage movement. This Quaker woman worked to change laws in our nation for female equality in work, education and family matters.

Clara Barton 1921-1912 Clara nursed soldiers on the Civil

War battlefields. She founded the Red Cross in America and was selfless for all humanity and very innovative under fire.

Sarah Bernhardt- 1844-1923 This famous actress and first lady of the theatre routed the United States and became fabulously famous with emperors kneeling at her feet, crowned heads showering her with jewels and adoring mobs throwing their jackets on the ground for her to walk on.

Nellie Bly 1867-1922 Nellie sometimes worked undercover and authored several sensational stories as she proved herself to be one of the first female newspaper reporters.

Rachel Carson 1907-1964 A meticulous biologist and the author and research of the shocking book Silent Spring and others, Rachel believed that science was a key to knowledge and the ore we focus on the wonders and realities of the universe, the better we will survive as a species.

Cleopatra- 69-30BC Using charm as a ploy to keep Roman attackers fro her beloved land, Queen Cleopatra, the supposed incarnation of the Goddess Isis, was scheming and ruthless while treading her treacherous course to her final suicide by venom.

Marie Curie 1867-1934 Working closely and painstakingly, under dangerous

conditions with her husband Pierre, Marie helped to discover the element radium. Earning many honors, she was one of the first female scientists.

pioneered a free style of dance unheard of in her day. She danced in flowing robes, barefoot in front of her trademark blue curtains. She led a tortured life, her children having been killed in a car accident. She went on to school others and acquired great fame for her innovation.

Amelia Earhart 1898-1937 Amelia was a famous female

flier. She proved her skills in the air many times, setting records and earning the distinguished Flying Cross. She was given a plan and attempted to fly around the world. She was declared lost at sea. Was she on a secret mission for the United States?

Dian Fossey 1932-1985 Dian is famous for championing the cause for the survival of gorillas in a mountainous region of Africa. She tracked and studied gorillas, becoming a familiar friend and protector. She wrote Gorillas in the Mist which as an account of her studies and experiences.

Anne Frank 1929-1945 Anne is famous for her diary left behind when she was captured by the German Green Police as her Jewish family hid from the "holocaust" during World Wart II. Her diary tells of her experiences in hiding and her narrative is a touching account of her thoughts.

Emma Goldman 1869-1940 Emma dedicated her life to political radicalism. Her views touted free speech, atheism and sexual freedoms. She was deported to Russia in 1919 in the "red scare". This Biologue about anarchy is not for the politically tame

ose Greenhow 1816-1864 In Washington, a city swirling with power during the Civil War, this eloquent lady with dashing good looks managed to operate harmful espionage activities for the Confederacy while few suspected her.

Mary Harris (Mother Jones) 1830-1930Mary risked her life as one of the first female union organizers during the Industrial Revolutio

She fought all her life for social change against the "high class burglars"that threatened the quality of life for working families in America.

oan of Arc 1412-1431 Joan was a French peasant Girl. She claimed to hear Holy Voices asking her to help lead France's military to victory over the English. She cut her hair and wore men's clothing and her courage was an inspiration to the troops. She was taken in battle and burned at the stake.

Frida Kahlo 1907-1954 Frida was a surreal artists and wife of the famous Mexican mural painter Diego Rivera. Frida overcame physical disabilities and pain to become famous and strong within herself.

Kaahumanu 1777-1832 Favorite wife of King Kamehameha I, unifying ruler of the islands of Hawaii, Kaahumanu managed to have many taboos changed to accommodate the equality of women. Her enchanting life on the islands did not diminish the fact that she was respected and powerful as ruler and strove always for "the good way".

Mary Kingsley- 1861-1900 Following in her father's adventurous footsteps, Mary planned exploration of an unchartered area of Africa's cannibal country. She encountered and traded with tribes and learned to love the African spirit and land.

Juliette Low 1860-1927 Beloved by so many, this blue blooded, eccentric young woman from Savanna overcame heartache to become the founder of the Girls Scouts of the U.S.A.

Lola Montez 1818-1861 Know for her peppery spider dance this lively character with questionable morals captivated Europe and the west as she danced her way into many hearts.

Virginia Reed Murphy 1835-1921 One of the members of the fated Donner Party, Virginia tells of her adventure and the bad choice of a pioneer pass through the mountains in a cruel and early winter. She recites a tale of starvation and woe.

Annie Oakley 1860-1926 A famous shootist, Annie made the best of an unhappy childhood and put her skills to work in contests and Wild West Shows. Always feminine and classy, she had the sharpest eye in the west.

Georgia O'Keefe 1887-1986 Desert and botanical subjects inspired this famous artist. Known for her simplistic force, her passions and talent won her paintings much recognition and acclaim.

Charlie Parkhurst 1812 - 1879 Deciding in her youth that women had few choices, she gave herself opportunity to use her skills by dressing in the persona of a young man. Charlie voted and drove stagecoach routes in California. A true adventurer.

Eva Peron 1919-1952 Eva became the wife of Juan Peron, a former President of Argentina. Through she died at 33 from cancer, her lowly roots created a compassionate and strong first lady beloved of the people.

Queen Elizabeth I of England 1533-1603 Elizabeth was the daughter of bloody Henry VIII of England. She rose to power after many

power plays to seize the throne. This charismatic queen cared for her people and died unmarried.

Jeanette Rankin 1880-1973 One the first day of her term as the first female representative in Congress, Jeanette had to vote on whether the United States would go to war. She always voted against war. She gathered a large following of women in favor of peace and women's rights.

Eleanor Roosevelt 1880-1973 The more than famous American First Lady managed to have a private life outside her public one. Her hard work as a diplomat for peace and human rights is legendary.

Florence Sabin 1871-1953 A medical researcher, Florence was among the first women to be allowed into medical schools in America. She researched the causes of tuberculosis making many discoveries. She became a hard task master of a teacher and was famous for her contributions to cleanliness of medical practices and current Health Department Code regulations.

Sacagawea 1786-1884 This Indian woman became the guide for the famous Lewis and Clarke expedition. Packing her baby on her back, she helped lead the two famous explorers to the Pacific Ocean and back.

George Sand (Aurore Dupin) 1804-1876 70 novels 24 plays and 40,000letters reveal the force of personality of this woman in her passionate search for new ways to define, describe and become a woman in her turbulent time living in France.

Myra Belle Shirley ( Belle Starr) 1848-1889 Belle became an outlaw involved with gangs of horse thieves and robbers. She hid out in her country home Younger's Bend. She was shot in the back with a double barrel shot gun and never named her killer.

Harriet Beecher Stowe 1811- 1986 Harriet was an abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. To whom President Lincoln said upon meeting her, "So this is the little lady that started this big war..."

Soujourner Truth 1797-1883 Freed in 1827 when New York liberated its slaves, Sojourner, tall and eloquent spoke for abolition and women's rights. Asked if she could read books, she said "Oh no ,honey, I don't read little things like book, I read big things, like men!"

Poker Alice Tubbs 1851-130 Her husband dead, Alice Ivers picked up a deck of cards and made her fortune in the west. She had many adventures and always went to the East to spend her gambling winnings. She settled down with her love on a farm, but gambled one last time to pay for her husband's burial.

Harriet Tubman 1820-1913 Being an abused Southern slave inspired Harriet to run for Northern freedom. She was determined to help kinsmen gain their freedom. Making 19 arduous journeys over mountains, constantly hunted by slave owners and all with a price on her head, Harriet helped over 300 persons gain freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Violet Richardson Ward 1888-1979 "Soroptimist" means the best for women. The Soroptimist International club founder always looked ahead for female progress in local and global affairs. Quality, harmony and service were her guiding principals.

Sara Winnemucca 1844-1891 Indian rights advocate and educated spokeswoman, this strong willed Paiute woman was educated in the ways of the whites and championed the rights of Indians suffering forced marches and reservation deprivation along with her tribe.