March 22, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

We scheduled Dorothy Mains Prince to perform at our Sunday Services last month. Dorothy portrayed Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, America's fearless champion of human rights. None of us knew anything about this fabulous African-American Unitarian. But Dorothy brought her to life for us and suddenly we were back in the 1800's listening to Harper speaking for the Maine Anti-Slavery Society about her hopes for a "better and brighter day."

Dorothy Mains Prince totally captivated everyone in attendance at church that Sunday. I have had a number of members of the congregation come up to me and say that they really hoped we could get her back again. They wanted to hear and see her perform again, and they wanted to invite more of their friends to come with them.

Not only is Dorothy Mains Prince an accomplished actor, she did an amazing job of writing and putting the performance together in a clear, meaningful and powerful way. She moved and inspired us by bringing an extraordinary American woman, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, to life right before us.

I would encourage ministers and congregations to consider inviting Dorothy to present one of her artistic creations to your community. I know from experience that you will be glad that you did. We found Dorothy to also be a warm and interesting person with wonderful people skills, as well as being a talented actress.

Sincerely,
Charles J. Stephens, minister
Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing
268 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road
Titusville, NJ 08560

My Testimony

Dorothy Prince offered a masterful portrayal of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Her presentations were part of a morning worship service and an evening installation service where she offered the Call to Worship and the Charge to the Congregation. Everyone is still talking about her performance. It was historically grounded, artistically compelling and spiritually inspiring. Dorothy is a professional par excellence and her ability to captivate an audience is a testimony of her true calling. I highly recommend her to any community that is interested in keeping alive the lives of outstanding African American women.

Reverend Nathan C. Walker
Minister, First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia

February 29, 2008

Dorothy -

Here's my favorite of the photos we took last Sunday at Washington Crossing.
Thanks for the inspiration you provided. If I'd ever heard of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper it was only in passing. Your reenactment brought her to life for all of us - and gave us the opportunity to appreciate her wisdom, vision, courage and tenacity.

With gratitude,
Holly Myers

In 1995, Dorothy Mains Prince received these responses after performing as Zora Neale Hurston:

May 12, 1995

Dear Ms. Prince:

We would like to thank you for taking the time to visit our English II Honors class. We were truly mesmerized by the energy and life that you brought to your portrayal of Zora Neale Hurston.

The performance was interesting and entertaining; you captivated us with your humorous, yet informative, anecdotes. You also kept us interested by allowing us to participate in role-playing. Your superior acting skills conveyed to us the setting of Ms. Hurston's life very effectively. For example, your accent, dress, and mannerisms created a clearer image of this remarkable author. Your knowledge of her life, times, and works is impressive! We are now inspired to further our knowledge of not only this writer, playwright, and anthropologist, but also her works.

Again, we thank you for entertaining us and bringing us an enlightening glimpse of the "bodacious" Zora Neale Hurston.

Sincerely yours,
The Students of English II Honors
Boston Academy
Boston, Ma.

Dorothy,
Thank you for being so generous with your time. Your presentation was excellent. The students enjoyed it very much. I think you already know that (smile). It was a great addition to our planned program for Black History Month. On behalf of the group of students, I thank you again.

Mildred Fryer
Snowden International School
Boston, Ma.

After appearing as Mary McLeod Bethune and Phillis Wheatley in the New Hampshire Chautauqua in 1998 and 1999:

Dear Dorothy,
You were fantastic last week as Bethune - the evaluation forms are raving!

Helen Gemmill
Chautauqua Staff Intern

Dear Dorothy,
Thank you for all that you did to make this summer's Chautauqua such a success. It's tough to play the unknown character, but you really brought Wheatley to life.
Thank you for participating in the teachers workshops and for a truly wild and wonderful adult workshop. You may have added a few gray hairs to my head that day, but the results was well worth it!

Thanks again for everything.
Debbie Watrous
N.H. Chautauqua Director

Continued Praise of Dorothy Mains Prince as Phillis Wheatley:
May 2001
"It fit in with our study of the American Revolution and the issues of slavery leading up to the Civil War. We chose to have Dorothy Prince come because Phillis Wheatley is included in the curriculum and we thought she could bring it to life, which she did.
All the teachers thought it was a worthwhile program. The students seemed attentive and asked some good questions about Phillis's Life.

Excellent
The First Baptist Christian School
Weymouth, Ma.

August 2001

Dear Dorothy:

Thank you for your wonderful interpretation of Phillis Wheatley at the Maryland Humanities Council Chautauqua. I enjoyed getting to know you and learning from your performances. I especially appreciated your flexibility in driving around the state and adapting to each location.
Thanks again for providing such stimulating performances for audiences across Maryland.

Sincerely,
Judy D. Dobbs
Deputy Director
Maryland Humanities Council

April 2002

"Thank you for ...Coming! I liked when she was telling us about herself. I liked the part when Phillis Wheatley told us her poems. My favorite part is when we did "David and Goliath".

Thank you for coming to our school!
The Students from Snug Harbor Community School
Quincy, Ma.

July 2002

Dear Dorothy,

It was a pleasure to meet and talk with you at Chautauqua in Reno. Your presentation was so generous, and you exposed many people, including me to the pivotal Phillis Wheatley.
Thank you,
Maureen
Chautauqua Enthusiast

August 2002
Dear Dorothy,
We just wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed getting to know you, and to express again how delighted we were with your Chautauqua presentations. You are a first rate Chautauquan, and we look forward to your return to Nevada another time, perhaps as a different historical character.

Judy Winzeler
Executive Director
Nevada Humanities Committee