Actress Deborah Jean Templin became so fascinated by the stories of the women who survived the 1912 sinking of the Titanic that she turned her research into a one-woman play entitled "Unsinkable Women."
That play will come to Weehawken at the end of this week as part of the city’s cultural affairs program.
Templin has been a professional actress for the past quarter century. A native of Minnesota, Templin was also a college professor, with teaching stints at Cornell and Susquehanna universities.
"I’ve always loved to act, and I love to teach," the Manhattan resident said last week.
Her acting career represents a fascinating journey through theater, film and television, all across the country. She appeared in the national touring company of such Broadway hits as "Baby" and "Annie." In the latter, she portrayed the role of Grace Farrell next to stage veteran Harve Presnell. Templin has appeared on television in shows "Midnight Caller," "Superior Court" and the popular ABC soap opera, "All My Children."
Templin has also had small roles in such popular movies as "Awakenings," "Scent of a Woman," and "You’ve Got Mail."
Recently, she was part of the touring company for the musical "Titanic," playing a variety of roles throughout the tour that lasted almost 18 months. During that time, Templin became interested in the historical perspective of the people who were on the ill-fated passenger ship, which hit an iceberg and sank in the northern Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912.
"While I was doing the show, I became very inspired by the people," Templin said. "Often, when I see a play, I wonder what would happen to the characters if there was a third act. I wondered what happened to the people who survived Titanic. That thought made me start to do some research about those people."
Templin became fascinated enough by the women who survived the Titanic that she turned her research into a one-woman play. The play focuses on the lives of seven different women who survived the disaster that claimed the lives of 1,500 passengers.
Templin will bring her historical perspective to Weehawken Friday and Saturday night, Oct. 12 and 13, at the Senior Nutritional Center on Highwood Avenue. The performances, which begin each night at 8 p.m., represent the first production by the Weehawken Cultural Affairs Commission since Sarah Crew became the director of the group this year.
Admission to the program is free.
The production is a joint effort between the Cultural Affairs and the Weehawken Free Public Library.
It was Crew who saw Templin perform "Unsinkable Women" earlier this year and asked Templin if she would perform the show in Weehawken. Templin and Crew shared a close friend, Maggie Task, who died of cancer earlier this year.
"I’m dedicating the performances in Weehawken to Maggie," Templin said.
Seven characters
"Unsinkable Women" features seven distinct and interesting characters. Among them is Madeline Astor, the wife of John Jacob Astor, heir to America’s greatest fortune. Another is Violet Jessop, a stewardess who tells of the friendships and loves of the serving staff below decks.
Then, there’s Tuxedo Park housewife Daisy Spedden, whose son’s teddy bear survived the sinking with them and who was so inspired by her Titanic experiences that she wrote the classic children’s book "Polar the Titanic Bear."
And, of course, no Titanic account would be complete without the feisty Margaret Tobin Brown – better known as "Unsinkable Molly Brown" – who took charge of a floundering lifeboat and guided it to safety. In the show, Templin, portraying the brash woman, recounts the details of the ship’s last moments.
Templin also created some fictional characters who are portrayed in the performance.
"In doing the research for the show, I visited Walter Lord, who wrote the book and the screenplay for ‘A Night to Remember,’" Templin said. "When I visited him, I asked him what happened to the people who were in the third-class cabins. He told me that I had to use my imagination. So that’s what I did. He made me feel like I could write it. And I did."
The performance not only features the stories of the unsinkable women who survived Titanic, but it also features a lot of the music of the time period, from 1912. There is another aspect to the performance, namely the Windows Quilt, also created by Templin, which serves as a backdrop for the performance.
According to Templin, there are four levels to the quilt representing first, second, third class and serving crew.
"I used silk and velvet remnants for the First Class, and cotton and wool for the second," Templin said. "The quilt is a tribute to the women I have come to love who survived the Titanic and the women in my extended family who have always encouraged me to keep rowing."
Templin has been performing the show at schools throughout the New York metropolitan area, including two Jersey City grade schools.
"It really is a historical show, but it’s fun and entertaining," Templin said. "I think people will enjoy it. I’m basically a storyteller and I know that I’m the connector. There’s the audience and there’s the story and there’s the actor who tells the story. The people who survived Titanic went on to do some incredible things."
Templin said that she still is developing the show, so performing it in a community theater setting is perfect for now. Eventually, she would like to take it on a college tour, taking the quilt along for the journey.
"I think theater that is community based is so important to have," Templin said. "That’s why I’m happy to bring this show to Weehawken."
Unsinkable Women will be performed at the Senior Nutritional Center in Weehawken on Highwood Avenue Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. For further information, contact the Weehawken Cultural Affairs Commission at 867-8447.