March 21, 2023

Long before she founded the American Red Cross, Clara Barton earned fame as the first woman to serve as a nurse on the front lines of a battlefield. This living-history program brings to life the story of Barton’s work during the American Civil War, including her decision to solicit and deliver supplies to soldiers and her experiences working under fire at battlefield hospitals. Her stories — funny, poignant and sometimes heartbreaking — reveal the medical conditions of Civil War soldiers and the courage required for a woman to defy conventions during a national crisis. 

Leslie Goddard is an award-winning actress and scholar who has been portraying famous women in history for more than fifteen years. In addition to a master’s degree in theater, she holds a Ph.D from Northwestern University specializing in U.S. History and American Studies. She lives in the Chicago area, where she served on the boards of the Chicago Civil War Round Table and the Illinois State Historical Society. A former museum director, she currently works full-time as a living history performer, author and public speaker.