Mary Jane Donohue as Augusta Tabor
A large group of about 30 people gathered at our Art Center on Friday to enjoy a wonderful presentation by storyteller Mary Jane Donohue. Performing in costume, she took on the persona of Colorado legend Augusta Tabor giving historical information and personal recollections of this well-known character. We learned a lot about Augusta - her marriage to colorful figure Horace Tabor, their life in Leadville and the mining towns of Colorado's early beginnings, the birth of their son and her later life as a single woman. There was a lot more to Augusta Tabor than just her relationship to the scandal caused by her husband's association with Baby Doe. She was a strong woman with a sense of adventure, willing to endure hardships to forge a life for her family. Never faultering from her character, Mary Jane "became" this interesting woman for her presentation.
The recounting of historical figures is part of a program sponsored by the Colorado Humanities. We have used their performers in the past - most recently with a program about Eleanor Roosevelt - and they are always wonderful. The attendees were glued to every word and had lots of questions to ask "Augusta" at the end.
