Discussion: Lucille Ball

Presented by Greenville Chautauqua. Note: This event is a discussion, not an in-character performance. (Performances: Meet Lucille Ball – Portrayed by Leslie Goddard and Lucille Ball Portrayed by Leslie Goddard at Hartness PAC)

In the 1950s, comedienne Lucille Ball captured the hearts of television audiences across the nation. Every week, some 11 million families tuned in to watch I Love Lucy, the CBS sitcom starring Ball and her real-life spouse Desi Arnaz. Her wacky hijinks and fearless enthusiasm kept thousands laughing. Off-screen, she and Arnaz launched their own television studio and pioneered new technologies, building a production empire. But even as her celebrity stature soared, Ball sometimes struggled with the divergence between the onscreen Lucy Ricardo and the real-life woman offscreen.