It's October 26, 1916, at a birth control clinic in Brownsville, New York.

38-year-old Margaret Sanger reaches out for a crying baby, lifting the child from its exhausted mother.

She rocks a newborn gently, while the woman dabs at her eyes with a tissue. Still cradling the baby Margaret begins a

speech she's made hundreds of times before. This young mother is typical of the people who come

to the Brownsville Clinic. In this part of New York, poverty is widespread. Families live on

meager incomes. Mothers struggle to feed and clothe the children they already have, and many fear

how they'll survive if one more comes along. But in early 20th century America, even mentioning

birth control is enough to get a person in trouble. That doesn't deter Margaret. She thinks

she can offer women a lifeline. With the baby soothed, Margaret rises and removes a leaflet

from a desk drawer. She hands it to the mother, along with her baby. The mother offers a grateful

smile. But the mood is punctured by a rapid pounding on the door to the waiting room.

Young mother looks up, startled, and Margaret reacts instantly. She moves across the room, opens the door to the side alley, and ushers the mother and baby out.

Then she closes the door behind them.

She smooths down her dress, steadies herself, and steps into the waiting room. There she comes

face to face with four police officers. One pulls a set of handcuffs from his pocket and tells

Margaret she's under arrest. Margaret Sanger is detained for distributing lewd and lascivious

materials. It's not the first time

she's been arrested on those charges. But despite the threat of jail hanging over her,

she will refuse to close her clinic or plead guilty to violating obscenity laws. Instead,

she will stand up for what she believes in and face down her accusers in court on January 29,

1917.

When I first began thinking about a live show, I knew I wanted it to be a little more special

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