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Dolley Madison speaks to Lee’s Legion of DAR

Wed, 05/19/2021 - 5:00 am

Deborah Moran made an appearance at the recent Lee’s Legion Daughters of the American Republic (DAR) as Dolley Payne Todd Madison. Moran is well known for her portrayal of Benjamin Franklin and other Fore Fathers.

Moran portrayed Dolley as a young girl and later as First Lady. When she was a young girl, she did not attend school like her older sisters because her mother wanted her at home to help her. As a result, Dolley had to rely on her sisters to bring their school work home for her to devour it and learn on her own.

In her portrayal of Dolley as a young girl, Moran enlisted the aid of some Breckenridge girls to portray Dolley’s three sisters. They included Sara Kate Griffith as Lucy, Sarah Moreno as Anna and Lydia Moreno as the baby sister Nellie. The girls did an outstanding job with Moran.

The audience learned that Dolley’s family moved from South Carolina to Pennsylvania where her mother ran a boarding house and served her guests regularly as hostess. It was there that Dolley met Thomas Jefferson, who in turn, introduced her to James Madison. This was after Dolley had returned home from losing both her husband and second son to Yellow Fever.

While James Madison was Jefferson’s Secretary of State, Dolley served as hostess for national events after Mrs. Jefferson passed away.

Later, in her portrayal of Dolley Madison, Moran shared the role Dolley Madison as the First Lady of the United States and served courageously even after the president had to leave for war. After his presidency, the couple retired to his home at Montpelier. After James Madison died, Dolley had to sell the house to pay for her son’s gambling and drinking debts.

Moran was able to demonstrate the courageous life of Dolley Madison who persevered through much adversity. Much of this information comes to light through Moran’s in-depth research of the characters she portrays.