READY to SERVE:
​Unknown Stories of 64 WWI Nurses from MD                                            
​​
  • Ready to Serve & Schedule
  • Blog
  • About Ellouise Schoettler

 
READY to SERVE
 written & performed by Ellouise Schoettler 

​This is a forgotten story of WWI Nurses who served in France. When called they answered  "I am ready to serve."  In Ready to Serve their letters come to life.


Button Text
Picture
READY TO SERVE 
is created from letters the nurses sent home from France.  They speak of wounded doughboys who needed the skilled care a trained nurse could administer.  One nurse wrote home saying, "I may forget the names, but I will remember the faces of those brave lads forever." 

In 1917 Johns Hopkins Base Hospital 18 accompanied the first American Army troops to France. The 64 nurses included in the staff were all graduates of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD. 
In their northern location the Johns Hopkins Base Hospital 18 faced punishing cold weather which froze medicines, and stressed patients and staff. Caring for increasing battle casualties stretched the nurses' endurance but they never stopped. Through their letters we have a close-up of a battlefield hospital.

"The story is a fascinating slice of history that hasn’t received the attention it deserves. Schoettler embodies her character completely, making it easy to forget she is playing a character at all."  DCist

ABOUT ELLOUISE SCHOETTLER:
Maryland spoken word artist Ellouise Schoettler is known for researching stories of unknown women and then bringing them to life with "heart and humor."  
In Ready to Serve she focuses on women's little known WWI history. "This story will be 100 years old in 2017-2018 so I wanted to give these nurses a voice during the time of the World War One Centennial." 
Schoettler performs nationwide for adult and family audiences.Ready to Serve premiered at the DC Capital Fringe in 1916 and Schoettler has toured with it since then.
​For more about her: ellouiseschoettler.com


CONTACT Ellouise Schoettler   EllouiseSchoettler@gmail.com
Facebook.com/FleshOnOldBones   Twitter.com/ellouisestory
 www.ellouiseschoettler.com


"Your performance brought to life the experience of World War I nurses and revealed its impact on their lives and the nation. The storytelling format is an engaging venue for historical research."
Phoebe Letocha, Alan Mason Chesney Medical Archives, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.

​        
 
 " Thank you for sharing your WWI nurses story Ready to Serve with us last evening. The silence in the room as you talked demonstrates how involved the audience was with your story. What a wonderful experience for those attending."  
Pat Wischard, Pr/Marketing/Adult Programs Librarian


  "It was breathtaking.... so glad to hear these stories that were up until now untold!"  
 Amy Ford, Branch Manager


   "Thanks again for a beautifully told story of the skill, strength, and courage of our fore-sisters who were an integral part of the U.S. military presence during WWI. What a perfect performance for Women's History Month!  Margaret Polischek , Librarian




​
"Schoettler goes way beyond remembering this brave 
​group of 64 women - she brings their stories to life and honors their forgotten legacy." DC Theatre Scene.

​​
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

2018                READY TO SERVE
                        

March  4           C.Burr Artz Public Library
                         2 PM
                         110 E. Patrick St
                         Frederick, MD

March  26         Veterans in Society Conference 
                         Speakers: 
                         March 27th
                         Ready to Serve
​                         Roanoke, VA 

April 7               Queen Anne County Library
                         Rescheduled to September1 
                         Centerville, MD

April  8              Fairfax Museum
                         Sunday .... 2 P.M.
                         10209 Main Street
                         Fairfax, VA 220303630

April 19              Harford County Comm. College
                          12:30 PM
                          Harford, Maryland

May 2                 Cape May, New Jersey

May 18               Private Event
                           Glenwood, MD

July 29                Writers Conference
                            Flesh on Old Bones
​                            Workshop
                            Garrett College
                            Garrett, MD

November 9        A Gold Star Mother's Journey
                           Premiere - NEW show
                           7 - 9 PM    Fee TBA
                           Sponsored by
                           Olde Mecklenburg Genealogical 
                                       Society
                           Aldersgate Fellowship Hall
                           3800 Shamrock Drive
                           Charlotte, NC

November 10      FLESH ON OLD BONES
                           Workshop       
                           9:30 - 12:30
                           FEE TBA
                           Adersgate Fellowship Hall

                           Olde Meck Genealogical Soc.

                      

​"I had heard so much about Ellouise's great storytelling and she didn't disappoint." Oconee Cty. Library, GA
      
"An epic story - about 64 courageous women and their iconic WW I service." Stories in the Round, Hagerstown, MD
 

                              

-------------------------------------------------------------

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.