March 27 – 29
in the Capitol Blue Cross Main Stage
7:30pm: Mar 27 & 28
2:00pm: Mar 29
Special Performances & Events:
Opening night reception
Post-Performance Discussions following each performance
Please plan on arriving at least 15 minutes before the performance starts. There will be no late seating after the commencement of the performance to ensure the safety of our performers and patrons.
Tickets
$40 - Assigned Seating
$25 - Student
$30 - Use code BITBGROUP for groups of 10 or more!
At Open Stage we believe in radical accessibility, meaning that anyone should be able to experience theatre, regardless of financial limitations. Learn More
About
Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed is the award-winning solo performance written and performed by Ingrid Griffith that brings to life the extraordinary story of Shirley Chisholm — the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and the first Black candidate to seek the presidential nomination of a major political party.
Spanning the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, and the political upheaval of the 1960s and ’70s, the play traces Chisholm’s journey from a ten-year-old girl shaped by her Caribbean heritage to a fearless political trailblazer who challenged entrenched power structures in the name of justice, equity, and representation.
Through vivid storytelling and the embodiment of Chisholm at multiple stages of life — alongside a gallery of characters who shaped and resisted her rise — Ingrid Griffith delivers a deeply personal and urgently relevant theatrical experience.
This powerful work examines the intersections of race, gender, immigration, and political courage, illuminating how many of the barriers Shirley Chisholm faced continue to resonate today. The result is theatre that invites reflection, dialogue, and inspiration.
Winner of the 2023 Suzi Bass Award for Outstanding Production About Social Justice, Unbossed & Unbowed has been praised nationwide for its emotional power, historical insight, and transformative impact.
“Ingrid Griffith has given us a gift with her outstanding performance of Shirley Chisholm.”
— Andrew Young
Part of The Good at Heart Festival 2026.
Recommended for Audiences Ages 12 and up
Runtime 1 hour 20 minutes - No intermission
Runtime
Parents Strongly Cautioned
This show contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14.
See specific content warnings below.
This show contains the following:
Sponsors
Supporters
We want to show our appreciation to our top members of The Inner Circle:
Miles Babin, Dean and Wendy Badorf, Joanne and Troy Bakel, William and Sharia Benn, Barbara Cartwright, Michael Chapaloney, Jeff and Caitlin Copus, Carole DeSoto, Matt and Desiree DeSoto, The Freeman Family, William & Melissa Gallagher, Peggy Grove, Molly Haragan, Mary Lou and Raymond Harris, Nicholas Hughes, Robert and Joyce Kantor, Beryl Kuhr and Patrick Bair, Wayne and Gloria Landon, Bill and Beverlee Lehr, Karen and Ken Lehman, Daniel MacGregor and Stuart Landon, Emily W. Matlin, DO, Tina Monroe, Howard Pollman and David Forney, Charles Romigh and Donald Vaughan, Karen Ruch, Brad and Colleen Sanders, Joseph Schalk and Kathleen Mullen, Kristin Scofield, Mary Simmonds MD, Ellen Stockstill, Stonebridge Financial Group, John and Abby Tierney, Jonathan Vipond III and Tim E. Bunner, Jeff and Deb Wasileski, Tonja Sue Weddle, Cynthia Wells
Join the Producer Circle or higher level to have your name listed here.