‘Breaking Down Walls’: Ada Monologues Portray Varied Paths to Becoming Smithies

With graduation drawing near, Mariana Estrella Rivera AC ’16 has been reflecting on her time at Smith.

“I learned that I have the capacity to make all the changes I need within myself,” Rivera wrote in a recent essay. “I have obtained the tools and knowledge to grow, but the thriving, the forgiving, the learning, the implications of it all—the hardest parts are all still up to me.”

Rivera will share her essay during the “Ada Monologues” performances at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, in Graham Hall. The fourth annual Monologues event is a show by Ada Comstock Scholars and program alumnae about the varied paths they traveled to become Smithies.

Tickets for the performances, which feature writing, music and humor, are $3 in advance in the lower level of the Campus Center or $5 at the door. Proceeds benefit this year’s Ada class.

Ada Comstock Scholar Theo Cielos, one of the student organizers of the Monologues, noted that this year’s celebration coincides with the 40^th anniversary of the college’s pioneering program for nontraditional-aged  students.

Named for Ada Louise Comstock, who graduated from Smith in 1897 and also served as college dean, the program supports women whose education has been interrupted while they raise families, work at jobs or seek adventures—among other reasons.

“The Ada Comstock program is part of Smith’s identity,” Cielos said. “The monologues break down walls by providing a glimpse into our varied and colorful lives.”

The performances are personal and powerful—for both audience members and participants.

“The students let us into their lives if just for a moment, and we come to know in greater depth that every Ada has a story,” said Calvin McFadden, Ada Comstock Scholars dean.

Sid Dalby, Smith’s associate director of admission and Ada Comstock adviser, said the Monologues event is also a powerful way to introduce the program to prospective students.

“The Monologues program coordinates nicely with Open Campus for admitted Comstock Scholars,” Dalby said. “We buy tickets for our guests and each year our visitors have been impressed by the amazing stories shared.”

The Monologues inspired current Ada Comstock Scholar Jan Morris to return to her earlier days in musical theater.

“The Monologues started the same year I became an Ada in 2012,” said Morris, who is an administrative assistant in Student Affairs. “I wanted to be part of it because I’m a performer and because the event is just so rich. The Adas that come here have such depth to their stories.”

At this year’s event, Morris will share her own story about how she went from being a college employee to a Smithie with a self-designed major in creative writing and theatre.

Rivera, who has been both an audience member and a performer at previous year’s Monologues, said the event is special for all who take part.

“The thing that brings us back is the impact of the show,” Rivera said. “The positive one that says, ‘I’m being spoken to, someone understands what I feel, they’re putting name and words to my experience.’”