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Join us for a world premiere evening of story with our 2026 Commission Recipient Linda Schuyler Ford. Raised in the enchanted Hudson Valley, Linda was born into a world of imagination, nurtured by the Dutch, German, and British folktales of her ancestors and the legendary prose of Washington Irving. This rich heritage sparked a lifelong passion for the oral tradition. Today, she shares that magic by leading transformational storytelling retreats for women and coaching Elder storytellers, helping them reclaim and polish their own unique narratives.
Linda loves sharing storytelling in professional development and has brought storytelling training to organizations such as the UAW, CareerSource Florida, and Community of Hope. In recent years, her creative focus has deepened, drawing her toward ghost stories, the complexity of literary works, and the often-untold stories of women’s lives.
Linda’s performances have captivated audiences in museums, libraries, churches, festivals, and cemeteries across the country. One of her most iconic moments occurred when she performed The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on the steps of Washington Irving’s own burial plot for 200 members of the International Jane Austen Society—a true full-circle tribute to the man who inspired her journey.
Her world premiere program will be A Woman's Issue: Madame Restell Speaks. Draped in silks and diamonds, abortionist Madame Restell stands in her Fifth Avenue mansion as a defiant portrait of Victorian opulence. This first-person presentation introduces a sharp-witted entrepreneur who built an empire providing "female health services" to the very socialites who branded her a monster.
Linda Schuyler Ford captures Restell’s cynicism, wit, and courage as she battles moral crusaders like Anthony Comstock over the policing of women’s bodies. Madame Restell's story exposes the high price of privacy and the hypocrisy of her era, in the midst of both professional and personal struggles. At the heart of this story is the unsettling realization that little has truly changed since the 1860s.
Tuesday, November 10 – 7:30pm
Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education – 213 N. King St.
In-person tickets are $20.00 each for general admission / $10.00 each for students with ID and may be purchased at the door. Livestream tickets are $20.00 per person / $10.00 for students and may be purchased on the tickets page of our website.
More information about the commission process and our first three commissioned stories can be found on the 2026 Commission page of our website.
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Event venue
213 N King St, Shepherdstown, WV 25443-8017, United States
Tickets
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