Lillian/Paula/Carson (new play reading about overlooked writers)

Lillian Smith, a Georgia novelist, scandalized readers with her novel Strange Fruit (1944). No stranger to unpopular statements, she and partner Paula Snelling publicly opposed segregation and Jim Crow laws. Prior to her novel’s notoriety, Lillian and Paula operated a progressive camp for girls in the Georgia mountains. In 1953 the famous novelist Carson McCullers made a surprise visit to the two women. Was this a visit of old friends or ambitious rivals? This play examines their motives and the impact of Carson’s visit on their relationships. Morningside Theater Co., 100 LaSalle St. (corner of Broadway, just below 125th St.).