New Surry Theatre proudly presents Conscience by Joe DiPietro. Margaret Chase Smith was a woman of firsts: In 1940, she was the first woman elected by the state of Maine to serve in Congress; nine years later she was the first woman the state elected to the Senate. And in 1950, she became the first senator to stand on the Senate floor and publicly rebuke Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, who rose to power using post–World War II anti-Communist hysteria and ruined the lives of those who opposed him. Margaret Chase Smith’s “Declaration of Conscience” speech was a public act of defiance at a time when both Democrats and Republicans were cowed into silence for fear of retribution. It came at a cost: She was shunned by her colleagues, challenged in a primary, and McCarthy threatened to expose her personal secrets. CONSCIENCE is the story of a remarkable woman who stood up for what was right and refused to back down.

Starring: Ellen Lancaster as Margaret Chase Smith, Matt Cornish as Joe McCarthy, Joe Hermans as William Lewis, and Moxie Wolf as Jean Kerr. Directed by Lori Sitzabee. Assistant Director Randall Simons. Performances November 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, & 22 at 7pm and 16 at 3pm at the Blue Hill Town Hall Theater at 18 Union Street in Blue Hill. For tickets visit www.newsurrytheatre.org or call 207-200-4720