Channeling Victoria Woodhull

On Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24, at 6:30 p.m., The Church in Sag Harbor will present performances of “The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull” presented by Owl & Pussycat Theatre Company. Victoria Woodhull was a brazen and irrepressible suffragette who was the first woman to run for president of the United States in 1872. The audience will join modern clairvoyant, Celeste, in an immersive séance as she endeavors to bring back Woodhull’s spirit to learn her full story.

“The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull” was born out of the #MeToo movement and created by wife and husband duo Ashely Ford and Theo Salter. Written by Salter and performed by Ford, who founded Owl & Pussycat Theatre Company, the pair wanted to tell the story of this heroic and nearly forgotten American woman who rose from rags to riches — despite having no formal education, and was then peddled out by her snake oil salesman father as a child clairvoyant. She eventually became the first woman to run for president, the first woman to address congress, and she ran her own Wall Street firm and progressive newspaper in New York.

Originally presented at the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival as “The Terrible Legend of Victoria Woodhull,” the production received ecstatic audience and professional reviews. It then went on to New York for a one night, sold out engagement on Theatre Row. While the show was shelved due to the pandemic, Owl & the Pussycat is bringing back an updated version with a new production team for two special performances at The Church before taking the play to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for 21 shows through August.

Written by Theo Salter, “The Ecstasy of Victoria Woodhull” is performed by Ashley Ford and directed by Sean Harris. Tickets are $20 at thechurchsagharbor.org. The Church is at 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor.