MILHOLLAND | 5C. Dr. Du Bois and Miss Ovington [5]

The characters of Mary Ovington (L) and Dr. W.
E. B. Du Bois, in the February production of a new
 play by Clare Coss.

At a recent fundraiser for Carolyn Maloney and Rebecca Seawright at the home of Mitch Draizin in Sag Harbor, I spoke with Clare Coss, a playwright who in February had her new play "Dr. Du Bois and Miss Ovington" produced at the Castillo Theater in New York.

I was unable to attend her play because I was in Europe visiting relatives.

When I spoke with Clare Coss I reminded her that I had written a play about Inez Milholland that was produced as a staged reading in her birthplace, Lewis, N.Y. as well as at City Hall and the Springs Presbyterian Church.

We had talked about Inez's father, John E. Milholland, who was one of the founding Board members of the NAACP – he was the founding Treasurer.

He had gotten to know Mary Ovington from his board work with the NAACP and the two of them had an affair – from all that I have read, her only affair and possibly his as well.

Clare told me that there is a reference in her play to the affair with John Milholland. She sent me a copy of her play and I have verified that he is in it!