A prolific author of numerous children’s tales in the vein of Mother Goose, Beatrix Potter also was a protector of Mother Earth.

“She’s very well known for her children’s stories and illustrations, but people don’t know she was a conservationist,” storyteller Paddy Lynn said.

Lynn will bring to life Potter, the English author and illustrator of beloved classics such as “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and “The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,” during a livestream performance at 7 p.m. Dec. 27. The one-woman show will benefit Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles. Tickets can be purchased until 6:45 p.m. Dec. 27, with ticketholders receiving a link via email to view the performance.

“Her story’s interesting because she was born in Kensington to very wealthy parents and raised by a governess,” Lynn said. “At a very early age her father recognized she had an incredible talent for drawing, painting. She was meticulous about everything. She actually wrote a paper about mushrooms. She was off the charts — so unusual, different from so many.”

Lynn, who lives in Mundelein, shares details of Potter’s career, love life and philanthropic efforts. An owner of several farms, Potter left much of her land and artwork to the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom.

“She really contributed to the world, and I really gravitate towards people that have really made a contribution to the world when I’m looking for these kinds of women to portray,” Lynn said.

Storyteller Lynn began portraying Potter about eight years ago, partly in response to requests from audience members.

“It’s an interesting line of work when you’re doing this kind of thing because you get a feel of what people are looking for and the kind of people they want to hear about,” Lynn said. “I had two people, both within the same week, ask me if I could do Beatrix Potter.”

Not knowing much about her, Lynn began to research before writing her show.

“I didn’t know to the extent of what she had done and how she knew from a very early age how she wanted to be a country girl — despite what her parents wanted for her,” she said.

With a background in theater and education, the Mundelein resident started Paddy Lynn Storyacting in 2000. While she initially focused on children’s programs for schools and libraries, Lynn branched out into educational programs for adults about 15 years ago.

It wasn’t long after the pandemic forced the closure of live performance venues that Lynn began fielding requests for livestream events.

“The whole virtual thing is kind of an interesting way of doing programs. I was really lucky a couple of places asked me very early on when COVID was first starting up …” she said. “Prior to that I wouldn’t have even conceived of it.”

With the help of a friend, she converted a room in her house into a studio with camera and lighting. Not long after her first livestream, she suggested to longtime friend Marge Uhlarik-Boller, artistic director of Steel Beam Theatre, that perhaps the format could help raise funds while the theater is closed.

“It’s very expensive when you have your own building and you’re supposed to be maintaining it.” Lynn said of the theater. “My heart goes out to them, because I know it’s really tough. Tough for everybody in the arts.”

After her first virtual performance, Lynn shared an idea with Uhlarik-Boller.

“I was so excited after I did my first virtual and it was so thrilling and fun,” Lynn said. “I had so much fun with it, I said ‘I really think this could work for you if there’s a way that people could get tickets for it. I’ll see who I can get.’”

Lynn reached out to fellow storytellers, asking if they would be willing to volunteer their time to help the theater by performing virtually.

“Not a single person said no,” she said. “Everybody said yes.”

That resulted in a monthly series of portrayals of famous women, fitting in with Steel Beam’s “Women of Steel” season that was put on hold by the pandemic. All of storytellers are donating their performances.

“Everything goes to the theater. Whatever money they make goes right to the theater,” Lynn said. “It’s not unusual when you talk to storytellers to find out that they did have a theater background. We’re all cheerleaders for the theater.”

Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.