A Celebration of Life: Joan Patchen Fund

By Elenita Muniz
WILPF Cape Cod

February 2022

"Racial Reckoning," a program of three short plays, two by WILPF member Candace Perry, was presented recently by Wellfleet Preservation Hall. The virtual program was sponsored in part by a grant from the Joan Patchen Fund, established in memory of a long-time WILPF Cape Cod member and artist. The fund supports the work of WILPF branches in the use of the arts to promote social change and create a more peaceable world. 

Candace has written several plays dealing with white privilege and the impacts of historical racial prejudice, especially in the southern United States, where she was raised. Her fellow playwright, John Dennis Anderson, also has roots in the South. As Candace wrote in her grant proposal, "We bring a history of our Southern roots and a concern for our white privilege to our work. As a longtime member of the Cape Cod Branch of WILPF, I’ve learned how racism and white supremacy have impacted every part of our lives."

The plays dealt with a 1952 racist novel, the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, and a newly discovered interracial family connection. "As white artists dealing with the topics of racial reckoning," Candace wrote, "we want to be sure we are sensitive and aware of what we might be missing, so we propose including an African-American theater artist as dramaturg."  Professor Charles Pace joined the evening as dramaturg and facilitated a very thoughtful and thought-provoking discussion with the playwrights as well as audience members following the plays.

The Cape Cod branch of WILPF will use this collection of plays as the core of its 2022 celebration of International Women's Day. It will be a virtual presentation hosted by members of the branch, including a live discussion.  

Joan Patchen served in many capacities and inspired many great actions as a WILPF member. She was Program Coordinator for the international WILPF Congress held in Baltimore. A gifted artist and actor, she also taught nursery school on Cape Cod and worked as an agricultural artificial insemination technician in Kentucky, among her many career experiences. Joan's joy in life, her enthusiasm for creating a better world, and her booming and infectious laugh helped lead the Cape Cod branch during one of its most productive eras. Her family and friends established the Joan Patchen Fund as a way to continue Joan's work through the efforts of WILPF branches. 

Inquiries about applying for a grant from the Joan Patchen Fund can be addressed to Elenita Muñiz, Cape Cod WILPF, at elenita@meganet.net.