The First Reading of If the Walls Could Talk

By Dawn Carroll

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February 25, 2025

Timing was absolutely perfect…. celebrating the start of Black History Month with the first public reading of our play, IF THE WALLS COULD TALK, inspired by the Songs For Mary Soundtrack (www.songsformary.com).

Just 6 Days before February 14th … which is also Mary Cardwell Dawsons Birthday.

I had no idea what to expect as guests filled the beautifully restored space at the Needham Town Hall. I cannot describe the feeling when I saw the actors and actresses enter the room excited to play the characters— A dream come true!

Congratulations on the first reading of IF THE WALLS COULD TALK. The compelling story of Mary Cardwell Dawson’s remarkable accomplishments came alive on the stage. The actors performed professionally and captured the attention of myself and the entire audience. May this performance be the beginning of many more productions in the near future. Brava!

Rosemary Porto

Nearly every seat was taken with curious guests to learn about an old decaying house, lost history and the need to save both.

Would they like our story about a hip hop artist falling in love with an old house, opera legend and forgotten history? Would they believe that music could save the day?

I started this project in 2019 when my concerns about our world were on high alert.

Tragically, in 2025 I realized my 2019 fears were more than valid than I could ever imagine.

But this story is about empowerment and it has empowered me. This story is about hope and inclusion.

This story about saving an old house can save us. It’s a house that inhaled hate and exhaled love.

Mystery Manor is a Beacon of Hope and we need your help to bring this production to the next level, to weave all the music into scripts for the next showing.

Donate here: https://songsformary.com/donate/

“When my wife invited me to the Needham Community Theatre on Sunday night I almost stayed home. The Celtics were playing and I didn’t want to miss the game, but I joined her for the performance of IF THE WALLS COULD TALK and it was well worth the sacrifice. The actors’ reading the script captivated me right from the start. Mary Cardwell Dawson’s story would be lost without this play. And her friends like Joe Lewis, Roberto Clemente, and Lena Horne added another level of surprise. It was a great evening in the theatre plus the C’s won the game.”

Mike Jarjoura