*Mrs. Bave Presents the San Juan Saga
The almost true story of a play that nearly happened about a war that
never occurred

Written by Steve Lyons; Directed by Mark Kuntz
*
This is the wacky tale of Emilia Bave and her “San Juan Saga.” Mrs.
Bave’s play was originally presented in 1959 on San Juan Island in
celebration of the centennial of the Pig War. The premier of the play
featured local acting talent. However, when she wanted to re-mount the
play the following year, she found no one wanted to be in her play!
Undaunted, she re-wrote the script to be a narration with the reluctant
actors replaced by mannequins. She presented her play with mannequins
for nearly 20 years.

In our comedy, Mrs. Bave’s cantankerous Pig War mannequins spring to
life, and take over the telling of the Pig War tale.

The Pig War is one of the few examples in our country’s history in which
diplomacy triumphs over war. Although tempers flared, the Americans and
the British ultimately resolved their dispute over the ownership of the
San Juan Islands peacefully.

The world needs more examples of peaceful resolution of conflict. And we
have a beautiful example of that in our own back yard.

Likewise, the spirit of Mrs. Bave is an inspiration. Writing plays is
all about tolerating countless rejections. Emelia Bave would not take
“no” for an answer, even when no one wanted to be in her play! No
problem, she hired a bunch of mannequins!! This is a playwright driven
by the need to tell her story! *

Mrs. Bave Presents the San Juan Saga *is slated for production in
Bellingham, San Juan Island, and possibly Seattle. Summer 2017.