The Brightside: Maintaining History Through The Art Of Performing
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. — Over the month of July, an award-winning Smithsonian performer made her way around the shore to tell American History, one of the shows in the newest edition of the Brightside sponsored by Choptank Electric Cooperative.
As part of America’s 250th birthday the junior women’s club of Pocomoke City hosted a one woman show at the Marva theatre. Miss Mary Ann Jaung is an award-winning actress and Smithsonian scholar whose next spotlight is here on the shore playing Clara Barton.
Jaung said, “It’s my great joy to take history not only to the Smithsonian and National Archives, where I happily preformed but to smaller towns who might not know some of these stories because I do very surprising, fun history,”
She said many people know of Amelia Earhart and Julia Child, but not as many have heard of Miss Clara Barton and her arrogant attitude.
“I ask the audience who likes Thomas Jefferson? And then I’m going to tell them, I hate them. They go, oh yeah, I’m teaching the lesson histories. People like that they don’t get along. History sometimes works together to do amazing things, like helping with the Declaration of Independence and building this country,” said Jaung.
But in learning something new, it’s important to remember history and the lessons that have come from it.
“For some of our older audience members, that’s their history. But I think it’s just as exciting for kids to realize these are people. They’re not dates, not just some book story. These are their relatives, their ancestors,” said Jaung.
She said it’s a balance of maintaining accuracy while making history entertaining and with her approach you may even end up having your own role,
Jaung said, “All of my shows are interactive. I always put audience members up, put them in the show, and now people really want to say, oh, what are they going to do?”
Her plays help remind people that history is everywhere we look and sometimes it’s important to appreciate how far we have come.
“History is not only people, but it’s unity. It’s diversity. All of us have people who contribute in one way or another. I love when people maybe think, oh, let me go look up my town’s history, my family’s history,” said Jaung.
