Enjoy a stroll through the social/political swirl of post-Revolution America! Your guide will be Dolley Madison, the Quaker girl who transformed into one of America’s most powerful First Ladies.

On May 16, the Millis Senior Center will offer guests an opportunity to meet the wife of the country’s fourth president Dolley Madison. Portrayed by Janet Parnes, founder of Historical Portrayals by Lady J, Mrs. Madison will take guests on a journey through the twists and turns of a life that took her from a quiet Quaker family life on a Virginia plantation to the political and social whirl of Washington City, the nation’s new capital.

Senior Center guests will enjoy sandwiches and sweets, as they explore topics such as Dolley’s life as Quaker child, the tragedies and serendipities she faced in Philadelphia, her unlikely marriage to James Madison, prominent role in her husband’s presidential-election victory 1809, transformation of the barren White House into a national treasure, strategies that united a fractured, contentious Congress and personal regrets as a mother. 

The performance will take place on Friday, May 16 from 11- noon at the Millis Senior Center, 900 Main St. Millis. The event is free.  As lunch will be served, registration is required. To register, call the Senior Center at 508-376-7051. Space is limited.

Submitted by Historical Portrayals by Lady