CW Announces Mamie Gummer in Guest Portrayal

By Amber Lester Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The daughter of a member of the Hollywood elite will be coming to Williamsburg to portray a member of the Colonial elite this May.

Actress Mamie Gummer, daughter of Meryl Streep, will serve as Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s first artist-in-residence. For one day she will portray Lady Charlotte Dunmore in a new Revolutionary Story scene called, “Lady Dunmore Prepares for the Ball.” Gummer will perform at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on May 1 in an open air theater on the grounds of the Governor’s Palace.

Gummer will be the first of two actors, the other yet to be announced, to appear this year in the new artist-in-residence (AIR) program. The program was created to “give artists who love history the opportunity to appear” in CW street theater programs, according to a press release.

Gummer has appeared in “Evening” with her mother and actress Claire Danes, Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock” and the upcoming film “Coach.” She has also acted on Broadway in “Les Liasons Dangereuses.”

Gummer previously worked in Williamsburg while filming HBO’s 2008 miniseries “John Adams,” in which she starred as the president’s daughter, Sally Smith Adams. “I’m very excited to return to Williamsburg and perform in such a unique educational setting,” she said in a release.

“Lady Dunmore Prepares for the Ball” portrays Lady Dunmore’s preparation for an official welcome ball in her honor at the Capitol, held on May 26, 1774. Dunmore was the wife of John Murray, the Fourth Earl of Dunmore, who held a seat in the British Parliament’s House of Lords before becoming governor of the New York colony. In 1774, Lord Dunmore became Governor of Virginia; the arrival of his wife and children was highly publicized at the time. Not long after her arrival, Lady Dunmore won the hearts of the colonists when she named her youngest daughter Virginia.

Gummer’s performances require a Colonial Williamsburg admission ticket or Good Neighbor Pass and a free reservation. Guests can also make reservations by calling (757) 229-2141 and pick up their reserved ticket at any Colonial Williamsburg ticket sales location.

In conjunction with the performances, several special events are planned in Colonial Williamsburg. Lady Dunmore’s arrival will be discussed over dinner at a celebratory dinner on April 30. Reservations are required.
Gummer’s costumes will be custom-made by CW’s Costume Design Center. In anticipation of her performances, the Costume Design Center will be open for a special tour of the facility from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on April 29. The tour requires a free reservation, made at any ticket sales location.

Following Gummer’s second performance, she’ll travel by carriage as Lady Dunmore from the Governor’s Palace to the Williamsburg Inn, where she will join other interpreters and guests for tea at 3 p.m. Tickets to the tea are $38 per person and include a keepsake menu.

In addition, a special Saturday lunch at Chowning’s Tavern is planned, complete with special entertainment, and guests can enjoy Sunday brunch at the Williamsburg Lodge with costumed interpreters.