A special one-evening performance of Bill and Lois Wilson: In Their Own Words will be presented at the Fairfield Theater Company in Fairfield, CT, on Thursday, April 7th at 7:30 pm.  The performance will benefit Positive Directions and support our treatment and prevention programs for families, adults and children.

The performance is a dramatization based on the letters and reminiscences of Bill and Lois Wilson, the respective founders of AA and Al-Anon, and tells the story of the couple’s remarkable lives.  The production was premiered by the Stepping Stones Foundation and the Bedford Community Theatre.  Stepping Stones in Katonah, NY is the home occupied by Bill and Lois Wilson from the 1940’s through the end of their lives.  The Stepping Stones Foundation maintains the home, its content and archives.

In selecting Bill Wilson as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, Time Magazine cited his enduring legacy as the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and its blueprint as an organization committed to maximum individual freedom.  In Their Own Words is based on the correspondence and writings of Bill and Lois Wilson and tells the inspiring story of their early love and hopes, descent into addiction, and their ultimate redemption and triumph as Bill helped create the Twelve Steps and Lois co-founded Al-Anon Family Groups which has helped untold millions. 

Don Dykas, President of the Board of Directors of Positive Directions, says the play powerfully communicates the ideas and struggles of the Wilsons and also tells of their great love for one-another, a story in itself which led to the creation of two movements which have helped countless numbers of individuals and their families.  Dykas said the proceeds from the evening’s performance will be used to support community-focused prevention programs targeting underage drinking as well as the agency’s subsidized adolescent and adult treatment services.

The April 7th performance will feature real-life Westport couple, Emmy Award nominee and Broadway actor Scott Bryce and Broadway actress and singer Jodi Stevens.  A pre-performance reception at the Fairfield Theatre Company begins at 6:30 pm.  Tax deductible tickets are available through the Fairfield Theatre Company Box Office (203-259-1036) or online at www.fairfieldtheatre.org. 

For more information on the Stepping Stones Foundation and the historic home of Bill and Lois Wilson, visit: www.steppingstones.org.

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