Acclaimed Actor Mamie Gummer Opens Colonial Williamsburg's Artist-in-Residence Program

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Acclaimed actor Mamie Gummer will debut as The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's first artist-in-residence, starring as Lady Dunmore in a new Revolutionary Story® scene, "Lady Dunmore Prepares for the Ball."

On May 1, Gummer will portray Charlotte, The Lady Dunmore.  Costumed in 18th-century attire, Gummer will appear in an open-air theater on the grounds of the Governor's Palace.  She is the first of several actors who will participate in the new artist-in-residence program which was created to give artists who love history a chance to appear in Revolutionary City or Revolutionary Stories, the interactive "street theatre" offered daily in the Historic Area. Revolutionary City and Revolutionary Stories have been created to involve guests in the most compelling stories that took place in colonial Virginia, keeping the lessons of history fresh and relevant for today.

"I'm very excited to return to Williamsburg, Virginia, and perform in such a unique educational setting," said Gummer about her participation in the program.

Colonial Williamsburg's Costume Design Center will be creating custom gowns for Gummer's role.  The Foundation's costume center has a distinguished reputation in the global community, thanks to their designers' exquisite attention to authenticity in design. The costume center is currently celebrating its 75^th year as a purveyor of colonial attire for the Historic Area.

Mamie Gummer made her New York stage debut in 2005 in the Roundabout Theatre production of Mr. Marmalade, for which she earned a Theatre World Award, and appeared on Broadway in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Her film work includes Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock and the upcoming independent feature, Coach. She portrayed Sally Smith Adams in the Emmy Award-winning HBO miniseries John Adams, filmed in part on location in Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area. A New York native and daughter of award-winning actor Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer graduated from Northwestern University and studied theater at the British Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Ms. Gummer's appearance is just one of the many highlights of Colonial Williamsburg's new interactive programming for 2010, which offers guests the opportunity to participate in new scenes at the Governor's Palace, the Capitol building, and R. Charlton's Coffeehouse.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a not-for-profit educational institution and cultural destination dedicated to the preservation, restoration, interpretation, and presentation of 18th-century Williamsburg, VA.  Be part of the story: www.colonialwilliamsburg.com

SOURCE The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation