ELYRIA, Ohio — The Lorain County Historical Society held a Valentine’s tea party entitled “Glamour and Grudges” Saturday (Feb. 12) at the Hickories Museum, a beloved historical home in Elyria now used for tours and events.

The turn-of-the-20th-century home set the tone for the performance.

Several seatings were available (all sold out), so dozens of people attended each seating and filled up the Hickories to watch the Women In History performance of “Hollywood Gossip Queens: Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper.”

Attendees were asked to dress “in your finest frocks and wearing feathers, furs, jewels and fancy hats in honor of our Hollywood ladies.”

Quite a few women did just that, with special emphasis on the hats.

In their day, primarily the 1930s and 1940s, Parsons and Hopper wielded enormous power in Hollywood’s “Golden Age” through their gossip columns, literally making and breaking acting careers. But the two were also known for being bitter rivals.

The two actresses portraying the characters (Linda Witkowski and Ruth Pangrace) did so with amazingly detailed knowledge. They argued often with each other under the guise of a “radio program.” They attacked each other as being ill-informed and having no ability to succeed in Hollywood.

They also told stories of the Hollywood elites, and much of it was very funny even though they were throwing verbal daggers at one another throughout the performance.

Margaret Hnat, a community theater actress herself from Bay Village, was a guest at the tea. She said: “The presentation was amazing. It was like a one-woman show. It was hilarious, and the women really took on their characters.”

Her friend, Teri Saltis, also a community theater actress, went all out on dressing for the tea.

Loud applause at the end showed how much the interpretations were appreciated. The obvious research and preparation for the women’s long performances were clearly evident.

The tea served was delicious, as were the tea sandwiches and the delicate desserts. A raffle followed the luncheon, putting a period on the end of a fun and very informational afternoon.

According to its information, Women In History is a non-profit group “dedicated to the education of all people through the dramatic re-creation of lives of notable women in history. With a passion for history and the women who are responsible for at least half of it, Women in History gives voice to some of the most stirring and inspiring stories that have gone untold for far too long. Through careful research and thorough study, the group has recreated riveting and entertaining life stories of some of America’s most remarkable ladies.”

For more information on Women In History, visit http://www.womeninhistoryohio.com/.

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