Letters to the Editor

Wellesley welcomes short letters (300 words maximum) relating to articles or items that have appeared in recent issues of the magazine. Send your remarks to the Editor, Wellesley magazine, 106 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02481-8203, or email your comments to magazine@wellesley.edu.

Shining on the Stage

On Saturday, March 8, I saw The Grove, a play by Mfoniso Udofia ’06, in Boston. Today, March 10, I received my winter Wellesley magazine (“Processing in Play,” winter 2025). I can’t tell you how delighted I was to learn that her playwriting journey started at Wellesley, and that the advice she received was instrumental in giving her the wherewithal to pursue a career in the arts rather than in the legal field. I must tell you that The Grove immediately brought me full force into the maelstrom of the complex dynamics among the members of the Ufot family. Mfoniso’s dialogue is authentic and provides the audience with a deep sense of the family’s struggles, and she presents fully developed characters. I found myself thinking about how my relationships with my father, mother, and sister (influenced by my family’s Bajan and Southern roots) presented similar challenges. I laughed and cried during the play, as did many members of the audience. I’m so grateful to be able to experience the nine-play Ufot Cycle in Boston.

Thanks for the profile of this amazing artist. I’m so proud she is a Wellesley “sistah.”

JudyAnn Bigby ’73, Jamaica Plain, Mass.

Theater for All

Just finished reading this entirely amazing article (“Processing in Play,” winter 2025) and am going to urge 1958’s active “Sister List” (I’m the admin for 1958’s class listserv of nearly 100 alums) to read it and—for those locals able to—attend performances [of the Ufot Family Cycle by Mfoniso Udofia ’06 in Boston].

What I wish even more is that virtual performances of this cycle could be offered for purchase by alums of advanced age—88 years for me—along with very limited mobility. I recognize that it would not be easy, but I expect it would be most welcome. The College might very well look at the feasibility of offering virtual attendance for many Wellesley events not manageable for alums living with marked limitations. Thank you for considering it.

Mary Edwards ’58, Melrose, Mass.

From the editors: We’re pleased to report that the Huntington offers digital streaming tickets to its plays; visit huntingtontheatre.org. The third play in the Ufot Family Cycle, runboyrun, was produced as an audio play adaptation by Next Chapter Podcasts in partnership with GBH and is available on all major podcast platforms.

A Queen at Wellesley

My already stellar conversation with a queer Black woman 50 years my junior went next level when we discovered our mutual love, as lesbians, for Janelle Monáe. We’ve both rejoiced in the artist’s performance as Teresa in the Oscar-winning LGBTQ-themed movie Moonlight. Ditto for the official music videos for her songs “Electric Lady” and “Q.U.E.E.N.” featuring Erykah Badu.

According to Monáe, the acronym for the latter tune stands for Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, Negroid.

What a thrill to see the bodacious, self-described nonbinary/pansexual performer celebrated in the winter 2025 issue of Wellesley magazine (“Celebrating and Elevating the Humanities”). As she aptly notes (in “Q.U.E.E.N.”): “The booty don’t lie.”

Evelyn C. White ’76, Halifax, Nova Scotia

A Joy Forever

Thank you so much for the winter issue. Receiving something of beauty in the mail is such a gift!

The inside-cover two-page photo of the boathouse and lakefront took me back immediately to that peaceful and protected time of scholarship.

But the real reason I am writing is in gratitude for the art of Gaby D’Alessandro (“Nurturing our Future,” winter 2025). The moment I saw her harmonious, colorful, and lively image of flowers and hands I felt joyful! The immediacy of those hands holding flowers went right to my heart. Her two full-page illustrations from the inspiring article about climate resilience now hang above my desk, where I can frequently experience that joy that is stimulated by beauty.

Thank you again for the wonderful gift of D’Alessandro’s art and this gorgeous magazine!

Kjersten Gmeiner ’88, Seattle