Hayley Lu Richardson as Louise Brooks and Elizabeth McGovern as Norma Carlisle
Courtesy of Masterpiece
Hayley Lu Richardson as Louise Brooks and Elizabeth McGovern as Norma Carlisle
Courtesy of Masterpiece
Telling the fictionalized backstory of real-life silent-screen star Louise Brooks, The Chaperone begins in 1922, when Brooks is a teenage modern-dance sensation in her hometown, Wichita, Kansas. Winning a place at the renowned Denishawn Dance Company in New York City, run by Ruth St. Denis (Otto) and Ted Shawn (Fairchild), Louise requires a chaperone for her journey from staid Middle America to the Gatsby-like glory of the big city.
The Chaperone is a story of self-discovery during a tumultuous period in American history. Louise will go on to become an icon of the Roaring ’Twenties and a rebellious model for her generation, pursuing her glittering career from New York to Hollywood to Berlin. But Norma, too, will embrace rebellion—and in Wichita, Kansas, no less!
Watch The Chaperone Saturday February 22 at 9pm on WITF. This episode of Masterpiece is available to stream now for WITF Passport members through our website and on the PBS Video app.
We spotlight and uplift the creators around us, featuring amazing artists, musicians, authors, chefs, dancers, designers, photographers, and more.
The days of journalism’s one-way street of simply producing stories for the public have long been over. Now, it’s time to find better ways to interact with you and ensure we meet your high standards of what a credible media organization should be.