Serving Smith College Alumnae and Friends in the Greater Philadelphia Region
Join us at the Rosenbach Museum and Library for a special event hosted by Judy Guston ’82, Curator and Director of Collections.
Smithies can choose to take a house tour or to view the exhibitions; afterward we will gather for a Q&A with Ms. Guston, then conduct our short annual meeting, and enjoy a wine and cheese reception.
Sign up ahead of time to take a house tour of the 1865 townhouse owned by renowned book dealer, Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach, and his brother, Philip Rosenbach. The docent-led tour includes a visit to the rare book library, and a re-creation of modernist poet Marianne Moore‘s Greenwich Village living room. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot for the tour.
Those who do not take the tour can check out the two current exhibitions:
–From Pen to Publisher: The Life of Three Sendak Picture Books, which follows the creation of Maurice Sendak‘s ―The Sign on Rosie‘s Door (1960), Outside Over There (1981), and Brundibar (2003).
–Titanic: The Rise of Rosenbach which tells the story of Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach as he hears about the sinking of the Titanic and realizes a protégé has died on board. Learn about the tragic event and how Rosenbach‘s personal loss inspired his later success.
Since there is not time for both tour and exhibits, Ms. Guston has
generously offered each attendee an additional ticket, to return to the Rosenbach and take a tour or see the exhibitions at a later date
[Regular admission is usually $10].
Tuesday, May 22, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cost: $15 (classes of 2006-2011); $18 (other classes and guests)
Please RSVP by May 15
Payment can be made by check (e-mail phillysmithclub@gmail.com for mailing address) or our Paypal link:
In the “Notes to Seller” area, please provide your name and class year, the phrase “annual meeting” and indicate if you want to take the tour.
The Rosenbach is wheelchair accessible (see their website for
more information). Discounted parking is available at 5-Star Parking, 2031 Lombard Street (parking ticket must be validated at the Rosenbach).
Our next “On the 18th” will revisit a favorite venue: The London Grill in Fairmount.
Join us for a relaxing, after-work drink!
Wednesday, April 18th, 5:30-7pm
2301 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia (click here for a map!)
Due to unforeseen circumstances this event had to be canceled on its original date in April. But never fear! We have rescheduled it for June.
Enjoy the beautiful Wissahickon Creek and Watershed area with us on a walk down the Green Ribbon Trail! The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association‘s Anne Standish ’79, along with a volunteer horticulturist and a birder, will lead us from the WVWA’s historic Four Mills Barn, and we’ll enjoy refreshments together afterwards. Well-behaved canines are welcome!
The details:
Sunday,
April 29, 2012June 3, 2012 (Rain or shine!)2:00-4:00pm
Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association’s Four Mills Barn12 Morris Road
Ambler, PA 19002$5.00 per person, $10.00 per family (to cover refreshments)
R.S.V.P. to phillysmithclub@gmail.com
You can pay by cash or check at the event, or in advance here:
(In “Notes to Seller,” include your name, the phrase “spring walk,” and number of attendees.)
Mark your calendars! On Saturday, April 14, we will be treated to a special tour of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Rare Book Department, led by Katharine Chandler ’97. Katharine will show us a cuneiform tablet, an Egyptian book of the dead, a medieval book of hours, a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible, the Elkins Room, and more! While there, you can also check out the Charles Dickens exhibition, celebrating the author’s 200th birthday.
We’ll meet at 10:30 to begin the tour at 11am; please R.S.V.P. to phillysmithclub@gmail.com!
Please note, all visitors will be required to check coats and bags (including purses) when touring the precious collections. They will be held securely by Free Library staff.
We’re headed to the Suburbs this month! Join us for a delicious Sunday brunch at Du Jour in Haverford, PA, at 11am on Sunday, the 18th of March. The restaurant is conveniently located around the corner from the Haverford Station on the Paoli/Thorndale SEPTA line (formerly the R5). It gets busy there, so we need to place a reservation – if you’d like to join us, please RSVP to phillysmithclub@gmail.com by March 15th to secure a spot!
Hope to see you there!
Our neighbor, the Princeton Smith Club, is hosting an exciting theater event on March 13th – please read on:
The Smith Club of Princeton extends an invitation to our fellow Smithies in Philadelphia to our evening at McCarter Theater!
Once again, we have a gala event planned, with a private pre-show reception with wine, soda and snacks, a discussion about the play with a member of the McCarter Theater staff – and tickets to the opening night performance.
This year, our show is “Travesties” – the Tony-award winning play by Tom Stoppard, who is famous for his writing for both the stage and the screen.
Date: Tuesday March 13, 2012
Location: Princeton University’s McCarter Theater
Play: “Travesties” by Tom Stoppard
Includes: A private pre-show wine & cheese reception, and a discussion about the play with a member of the McCarter Theater staff
Time: Reception at 6:00 pm; Talk at 6:45 pm; Performance at 7:30 pm
Cost: $45.00/per person, inclusive. Regular ticket prices for the main floor run around $50 to $60 just for the play, so we have a good deal!
RSVP: Elisa Maselli, elisa_maselli@mac.com
Note: Guests and spouses welcome!!
To guarantee our group discount, please send your check, made out to PASCC, by March 1 to:
Carol Morrison
6 Riverside Drive
Princeton, NJ 08549
carol.morrison76@gmail.com
609-423-4118
About the play:
TRAVESTIES by Tom Stoppard
“Zurich, 1917: Take one part Wilde, a touch of Lenin, a dash of Dada, a pinch of Joyce and you’ve got Tom Stoppard’s absurdly hilarious Travesties. Prepare to be delighted as Stoppard (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Shakespeare in Love) spins you into a dazzling medley of philosophy, politics, literature, and history. The wildest revolutionary minds of the 20th century come alive in this romantic and achingly funny modern masterpiece.”
Tom Stoppard is an award-winning British playwright who has written for the stage as well as movies, radio and television. Themes of human rights, censorship and political freedom pervade his works. He won a Tony Award for “Travesties” – and three other Tonys, as well as an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for “Shakespeare in Love” (starring Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I, Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth). He is also well-known as the author of the Tony-Award winning play “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.”
“Travesties” is set in Zurich during the First World War, when three important and unlikely personalities were there – the author James Joyce, the revolutionary Lenin, and the founder of the Dada movement, Tristan Tzara. Stoppard uses a production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde as a framework to explore themes of art, the war and revolution.
This kind of layering – using a play in a play – is typical of Stoppard’s work, in my view. One of the things I loved about “Shakespeare in Love” is that it is the story of a woman, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who desperately wants to act. She poses as a man to get roles as a woman on stage – back in Elizabethan England, when women were not allowed to act. So Gwyneth plays a woman, playing a man so that she can play a woman! My favorite line from the movie is by Judi Dench, who won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth – she has figured out the ruse, and tells Gwyneth’s character, “I know something of a woman in a man’s profession. Yes, by God, I do know about that.”
I don’t know much about this play, but I have a deep appreciation for Tom Stoppard’s smart use of language, brilliant and literary humor, and ability to tell a story with complex and surprising layers!
I hope you will join us for this event!
Best,
Elisa Maselli
President
Smith College Club of Princeton
If you’re planning to attend the Flower Show this year, consider joining us for a lunch on Saturday, March 10th, 12pm noon, at Vietnam – a delicious Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown, close to the Convention Center. Either head to the Flower Show in the morning and join us for a relaxing lunch, or join us for lunch to kick off your afternoon at the Flower Show (or just come for the great food and company!).
An RSVP is required for this event as we must make a reservation. Please email phillysmithclub@gmail.com by March 5th and include in the email the total number of attendees (guests are welcome!).
Join us in the historic National Mechanics building for this month’s happy hour! Wednesday, January 18th, 5:30-7:30pm.
National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd Street in Old City). Hope to see you there!
Did you miss Smith Glee Club director Jonathon Hirsh’s annual J-Term class on the card game bridge? You have another chance to learn! Delvita Reid ’93 is a Bronze Life Master of the American Contract Bridge League and will be holding an informal lesson for Smithies and their friends in February.
Bridge For Beginners
At the home of Lisa Platt Carmalt ’68 in Center City, Philadelphia
February 5, 2012 1-3pm
(don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to make it home for the Superbowl!)
Snow date February 12
Reserve Now – Space is Limited.
$25 per person includes refreshments,
an introductory bridge class and supervised play.To register, just send an email to novicebridge@gmail.com
For more information, contact Delvita Reid ’93: (215) 510-0184 or novicebridge@gmail.com
The Smith College Club of Philadelphia 