“The Grain of the Wood” is a one-act play about the life of one of CCC’s founders and a lifelong champion of children’s rights and social justice, Justine Wise Polier. The play, performed as a staged reading, with three actors, plus props, costumes and slides, was written by Ellen W. Kaplan of Smith College, in collaboration with Justine Polier’s granddaughter, Debra Bradley Ruder.
“Called The Grain of the Wood for Justine’s ability to find beauty in the gnarled driftwood she loved to carve, the three-actor play includes a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who wonder about their own legacies as they listen to Justine’s reminiscences as a “fighting judge” who never hesitated to ruffle feathers to support her principles, even if that led to hate mail or professional sacrifices.” – Excerpt from, ‘Justine Wise Polier: A “Fighting Judge” Takes the Stage’ essay by Debra Ruder.
