The Bee's Knees

It’s the early 1920s and for the first time, women can run for parliament. Bernie, a rebellious young flapper convinces her older sister, Dolores to run for office. Her opponent is the local incumbent Jerry Fields, a charismatic yet unscrupulous politician and self-proclaimed 20th-century man.
For a woman of her time, going into politics is a scandalous, dangerous act. The sisters must deal with smear campaigns and death threats, a catatonic mother, the betrayal of friends and family, and Dolores falling in love, all while running a campaign.

With original jazz-era music, The Bee’s Knees is entertaining and hopeful. It takes you back to the Roaring Twenties, but shines a lens on the 2020s, forcing the audience to examine the landscape of modern leadership. (Because for women in politics, fashions may have changed, but not much else.)
In addition to these adventurous, and very different sisters the play features a large cast of characters trying to deal with the changing times. Back then, people were recovering from WWI and the Spanish Flu (20th century Covid). It was a time of great innovation and new technologies. This societal upheaval both good and bad was overwhelming. People struggled with a world moving way too fast. We can all relate.

Dolores’s Aunt Virginia, a proper Edwardian woman cannot understand why any woman would want to demean herself with politics. Dr Edwin Becker, a veteran of the Great War considers himself a supportive man but is grappling with the political ambitions of his fiancée. A diverse group of suffragists lend their voices and money to the campaign but struggle with the inequities of their world. They are expected to fight for women’s rights when in reality not every woman has equal rights and status.

And throughout it all the play’s truth-teller Rita Blue, owner of the local speakeasy connects the past to the present with her songs. She acts as both conscience and commentator, stepping into the 21st, and forcing us to answer “Is it any different now?”

The Bee’s Knees hits the stage at a very exciting time given the current political climate. We may be able to answer Rita’s question with a resounding Yes! To learn more please go to: www.thebeeskneesplay.com