Presentarts and the Phelps Mansion presents “Trailblazers of Nursing” on Mar. 8th at 7 p.m. Written by Judith Present and starring Maryann Johnson, Bonnie De Forest, Shirley Goodman, and Kristin Guidici in a tribute to the Nursing Profession and what it does for us. From the ancient world to the present, women have been vital to the progress of science, yet their importance has been overlooked, and their stories are often lost, distorted or actively suppressed.

In this performance you will meet Clara Barton whose tireless effects helped many to return home after the Civil War. Dorothea Dix had no professional training in mental health, but her observance of their treatment astonished her and forced her to make crossroads in their conditions. Ruby Bradley an unassuming military nurse captured by the Japanese after Pearl Harbor’s attack learned to improvise her treatments with whatever she could steal or find. And Margaret Sanger brought contraception to the forefront but still dabbled in eugenics-controlled breeding.

In the early 1800’s, much of science as we know it today had not been discovered yet, so when wars broke out there were many injured and those caring for them got a learning experience. These women introduced sanitation as far as they could in war like situations and saw how it helped to keep more soldiers alive. Their empathy and concern shown the patients was also a healing intention they found worked. The soldiers, sick or dying, needed to feel their compassion. They gave the men peace of mind and reason to get well to go home. These four women were leaders in fields that at one time were hardly noticed, but they brought the nursing profession to the forefront. They developed innovative ways to advance health and meet ever-evolving human needs.

For these who died in the Civil War, WWII, and the mentally ill who died in prisons; without these women more would have died. Professional nursing in the mid-19th century had the most innovative changes to healthcare delivery in our nation’s history.

These four nurses, Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, Ruby Bradley and Margaret Sanger will tell you their story, their ideas on healthcare and how it affected their lives and the individuals around them. Even today through the Coronavirus Pandemic nurses were on the forefront of healing.