Why CultureMental Has Sponsored Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn for the Pulitzer Prize
by Montserrat Mendez
01/14/2025
01/14/2025
The following is a refined and edited version of Montserrat Mendez’s essay, originally submitted alongside the Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn play script to the Pulitzer Prize Committee.
The NYC cast of Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn (From L to R) Top Row: Alisha Spielmann*, Morgan Nadia Williams, Joe Mathers, Matthew Tarricone. Bottom Row: Marie Elena O'Brien*, Heather E. Cunningham*, Tracey Beltrano. *
PHOTO BY REED YURMAN
PHOTO BY REED YURMAN
Let’s start with the scene: It’s July 3, 1956, in Memphis, Tennessee. The air is thick with ambition, cigarette smoke, and the unmistakable hum of change. WHER, America’s first all-female radio station, operates out of a Holiday Inn—yes, a Holiday Inn. But don’t let the ordinary venue fool you; this is a battleground, a beacon, a revolution masquerading as a radio station.
And at the center of it all? Bettye, a DJ with a sharp wit, scandalous pants, and the kind of unapologetic charisma that makes everyone in the room pay attention. Surrounding her are the Jockettes, a group of women with more smarts, grit, and charm than the male-dominated industry they’ve been conscripted to conquer. Together, they’re not just spinning records; they’re rewriting the rules of an entire era.
This is the world of Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn, the dazzling romantic comedy by Christie Perfetti Williams, produced with vivid affection by Retro Productions. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s crackling with energy and it’s why CultureMental has nominated and sponsored this extraordinary play for the Pulitzer Prize.
And at the center of it all? Bettye, a DJ with a sharp wit, scandalous pants, and the kind of unapologetic charisma that makes everyone in the room pay attention. Surrounding her are the Jockettes, a group of women with more smarts, grit, and charm than the male-dominated industry they’ve been conscripted to conquer. Together, they’re not just spinning records; they’re rewriting the rules of an entire era.
This is the world of Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn, the dazzling romantic comedy by Christie Perfetti Williams, produced with vivid affection by Retro Productions. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, it’s crackling with energy and it’s why CultureMental has nominated and sponsored this extraordinary play for the Pulitzer Prize.
A Story That Sings
The setup is perfect: On this sweltering day in 1956, Elvis Presley is set to visit WHER for an exclusive interview, a publicity jackpot that sends the station into overdrive. Add to that a missing copywriter with a trail of half-finished ads, a newsroom teetering on the brink of chaos, and the sudden reappearance of Benjamin, Bettye’s slick-talking ex. What unfolds is a masterclass in comedy and tension, where every beat hits like a perfectly timed punchline, and every glance carries the weight of history.
At its heart, though, this isn’t just a story about a radio station. It’s a story about women who dared to be loud in a world that told them to be quiet. Bettye and the Jockettes are navigating a male-dominated industry with charm, intellect, and a willingness to break the rules one broadcast at a time.
At its heart, though, this isn’t just a story about a radio station. It’s a story about women who dared to be loud in a world that told them to be quiet. Bettye and the Jockettes are navigating a male-dominated industry with charm, intellect, and a willingness to break the rules one broadcast at a time.
A Homage to Revolutionaries
WHER wasn’t just a radio station; it was a statement. Founded in 1955 by Sun Records’ Sam Phillips and Holiday Inn’s Kemmons Wilson, it was a bold, improbable idea: an all-girl radio station in the heart of the South. The Jockettes weren’t just announcers; they were pioneers, entertainers, and cultural disruptors. Perfetti Williams’s script honors their legacy with a deft balance of historical authenticity and creative license, capturing the essence of these trailblazers while infusing their world with fresh wit and vibrant humanity.
A Play for Its Time—and Ours
Good storytelling isn’t just about the past; it’s about what the past has to say to the present. Bettye and the Jockettes achieves this beautifully. The romantic entanglement between Bettye and Benjamin, the looming shadow of Elvis Presley, and the creative chaos of WHER all feel both specific to 1956 and universally resonant. At the same time, the play boldly addresses the complexities of its setting through the character of Catherine, a young Black woman who finds herself at the precipice of opportunity. Catherine’s journey is both personal and symbolic, embodying the subtle but powerful shifts that marked the beginning of a broader cultural and social transformation.
By including Catherine, the play expands its lens beyond the station’s predominantly white workforce, offering a richer and more nuanced exploration of an era defined by both progress and inequality. Her story adds depth and urgency, showing how places like WHER became unlikely incubators for the social shifts that would reshape the nation.
Yes, Bettye and the Jockettes acknowledges the racial tensions and segregation of 1950s Memphis, but it doesn’t linger in despair. Instead, it uses its characters, Bettye, Catherine, Kit, Dottie, and Esther—to celebrate the courage, ambition, and innovation of women who defied expectations, each in their own way, and the men, like Ben and Sam, who gave these women the space to grow. It’s a poignant reminder that the fight for progress is multifaceted and ongoing.
By including Catherine, the play expands its lens beyond the station’s predominantly white workforce, offering a richer and more nuanced exploration of an era defined by both progress and inequality. Her story adds depth and urgency, showing how places like WHER became unlikely incubators for the social shifts that would reshape the nation.
Yes, Bettye and the Jockettes acknowledges the racial tensions and segregation of 1950s Memphis, but it doesn’t linger in despair. Instead, it uses its characters, Bettye, Catherine, Kit, Dottie, and Esther—to celebrate the courage, ambition, and innovation of women who defied expectations, each in their own way, and the men, like Ben and Sam, who gave these women the space to grow. It’s a poignant reminder that the fight for progress is multifaceted and ongoing.
Why CultureMental Cares
CultureMental isn’t just an organization—it’s a mission. Our purpose is simple but profound: to champion stories that challenge the status quo, redefine art, and demand attention. Bettye and the Jockettes is exactly that kind of story. It’s sharp, it’s funny, it’s socially aware, and it’s unapologetically entertaining. At its core, it’s a celebration of creativity, resilience, and the courage to speak up—even when the world isn’t ready to listen.
This is a play about women who made us listen, one broadcast at a time, through America’s airwaves. If there’s a story that embodies the spirit of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a recognition of distinguished American plays that reflect American life, it’s this one.
Opening May 3, 2024, at the Gene Frankel Theatre, this production is the cornerstone of Retro Productions’ 20th Anniversary celebration. It’s a love letter to WHER, to the women who made it legendary, and to the enduring power of voices that refuse to be silenced.
CultureMental is proud to nominate Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn for the Pulitzer Prize. Because in a smoky, unassuming Holiday Inn in Memphis, history was made. And now, on a stage in New York, it’s being celebrated.
This is a play about women who made us listen, one broadcast at a time, through America’s airwaves. If there’s a story that embodies the spirit of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a recognition of distinguished American plays that reflect American life, it’s this one.
Opening May 3, 2024, at the Gene Frankel Theatre, this production is the cornerstone of Retro Productions’ 20th Anniversary celebration. It’s a love letter to WHER, to the women who made it legendary, and to the enduring power of voices that refuse to be silenced.
CultureMental is proud to nominate Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn for the Pulitzer Prize. Because in a smoky, unassuming Holiday Inn in Memphis, history was made. And now, on a stage in New York, it’s being celebrated.
The original 2024 production of Bettye and the Jockettes Spinning Records at the Holiday Inn
BETTYE AND THE JOCKETTES SPINNING RECORDS AT THE HOLIDAY INN by Christie Perfetti Williams
Directed by Sara Thigpen
at the Gene Frankel Theatre
Stage Manager: Jodi M. Witherell
Choreographer: Ricardo Rust
Set Designer: Lauren Barber
Costume Designer: Vivane Galloway
Sound Designer: Robert A.K. Gonyo
Lighting Designer: Ndanu Mutisya
Properties Designer: Heather Cunningham
Poster Design and Marketing Artwork by Montserrat Mendez
Press Representative: Alton PR and Production
Associate Producer: Montserrat Mendez, The MozzleStead Company
Featuring: Tracey Beltrano*, Heather E. Cunningham*, Joe Mathers, Marie Elena O'Brien*, Alisha Spielmann*, Matthew Tarricone, Morgan Nadia Williams.
BETTYE AND THE JOCKETTES SPINNING RECORDS AT THE HOLIDAY INN by Christie Perfetti Williams
Directed by Sara Thigpen
at the Gene Frankel Theatre
Stage Manager: Jodi M. Witherell
Choreographer: Ricardo Rust
Set Designer: Lauren Barber
Costume Designer: Vivane Galloway
Sound Designer: Robert A.K. Gonyo
Lighting Designer: Ndanu Mutisya
Properties Designer: Heather Cunningham
Poster Design and Marketing Artwork by Montserrat Mendez
Press Representative: Alton PR and Production
Associate Producer: Montserrat Mendez, The MozzleStead Company
Featuring: Tracey Beltrano*, Heather E. Cunningham*, Joe Mathers, Marie Elena O'Brien*, Alisha Spielmann*, Matthew Tarricone, Morgan Nadia Williams.
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To Learn More About Entrant/Nominee Christie Perfetti Williams
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Join us to celebrate Betty, the work of Retro Productions, and this exciting new chapter at the Retro 20th Anniversary Gala at The Players on Wednesday, January 29. The Gala will commemorate Retro’s milestone anniversary and feature a reading of Jack Hilton Cunningham's play Women and War (produced by Retro in their 5th season), as well as present honorary awards to theater makers who have helped make Retro a success over the past two decades.
Tiered tickets are available: $40 for admission, $75 for admission plus two drinks, and $400 for a table for six with two drinks per guest. Tickets are available at www.retroproductions.org. Doors open at 7 p.m., with an 8 p.m. performance, followed by the presentation of honorary awards. Dress code: Retro Party Chic!
The evening will feature a 15th-anniversary reading of Women and War by Jack Hilton Cunningham, directed by Peter Zinn.
Through correspondence and monologues, in the style of reader’s theater, Women and War is a collection of fictional stories based on historical facts. The stories, told by generations of Americans impacted by conflict—from The Great War to the War in Afghanistan—capture the experiences of housewives, workers, young brides, nurses, mothers, widows, and now young women as soldiers. These are tales of sacrifice, love, determination, and hope, told by those who bravely persevere on the home front and the battlefield.
The cast features Heather E. Cunningham (original cast member, NYIT Award winner for Outstanding Actress in Retro’s An Appeal to the Woman of the House), Joe Forbrich (Broadway’s upcoming Good Night, and Good Luck, Lucky Guy), Casandera M.J. Lollar (original cast member, Off-Broadway The Runner Stumbles/Retro), Elise Rovinsky (original cast member, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU), and Matilda Szydagis (Zelda on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel/Amazon Prime, HBO’s The Sopranos).
Women and War is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. Retro Productions wishes to express their gratitude to the Performers’ Unions: Actors’ Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists, American Guild of Variety Artists, and SAG-AFTRA through Theatre Authority, Inc., for their cooperation in permitting the artists to appear in this program.
Tiered tickets are available: $40 for admission, $75 for admission plus two drinks, and $400 for a table for six with two drinks per guest. Tickets are available at www.retroproductions.org. Doors open at 7 p.m., with an 8 p.m. performance, followed by the presentation of honorary awards. Dress code: Retro Party Chic!
The evening will feature a 15th-anniversary reading of Women and War by Jack Hilton Cunningham, directed by Peter Zinn.
Through correspondence and monologues, in the style of reader’s theater, Women and War is a collection of fictional stories based on historical facts. The stories, told by generations of Americans impacted by conflict—from The Great War to the War in Afghanistan—capture the experiences of housewives, workers, young brides, nurses, mothers, widows, and now young women as soldiers. These are tales of sacrifice, love, determination, and hope, told by those who bravely persevere on the home front and the battlefield.
The cast features Heather E. Cunningham (original cast member, NYIT Award winner for Outstanding Actress in Retro’s An Appeal to the Woman of the House), Joe Forbrich (Broadway’s upcoming Good Night, and Good Luck, Lucky Guy), Casandera M.J. Lollar (original cast member, Off-Broadway The Runner Stumbles/Retro), Elise Rovinsky (original cast member, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU), and Matilda Szydagis (Zelda on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel/Amazon Prime, HBO’s The Sopranos).
Women and War is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. Retro Productions wishes to express their gratitude to the Performers’ Unions: Actors’ Equity Association, American Guild of Musical Artists, American Guild of Variety Artists, and SAG-AFTRA through Theatre Authority, Inc., for their cooperation in permitting the artists to appear in this program.
A NOTE FROM CULTUREMENTAL
It is our mission to sponsor a Pulitzer Prize entrant-nominee every year, chosen from the off-off Broadway companies that have, for decades, been the heartbeat of New York City. These are the artists who, with grit and grace, have kept the city alive, thriving, and burning with creative light through some of its darkest chapters.
This is CultureMental’s way of celebrating them, of raising up the voices and visions that have so often gone unheard or unseen. Because in their work, we find not only the resilience of our city but the boundless potential of its people. To honor these companies is to honor the soul of New York itself.
This is CultureMental’s way of celebrating them, of raising up the voices and visions that have so often gone unheard or unseen. Because in their work, we find not only the resilience of our city but the boundless potential of its people. To honor these companies is to honor the soul of New York itself.
