Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. welcomes audiences to its production of Dark Cowgirls and Prairie Queens: the story of a little known facet of American History. Dark Cowgirls is the third in a six-part series of original works by Carpetbag’s Doris Duke Foundation award-winning playwright-in-residence and Executive/Artistic Director, Linda Parris-Bailey. The series is in celebration of Carpetbag’s 50th Anniversary in 2019. Dark Cowgirls will run from March 29 - April 1 at the Ula Love Carousel Theatre in Knoxville, TN.
Filled with vivid images, captivating stories and harmonious song, “Cowgirls brings to life seven of the most colorful Black women to emerge from the American West. The play is an imaginative dramatization of the lives of Mary Fields (Black Mary), Biddy Mason (Grandma Mason), sculptress Edmonia Lewis (Little Wildfire), Mary Ellen Pleasant (Mammy Pleasant) of underground railroad fame, and Julia Boulette (fondly remembered as the Queen of Virginia City).
Dark Cowgirls and Prairie Queens has been presented in many venues throughout its 35 year history, including the New Victory Theater, a Broadway theater. It was featured at the closing of the Free Southern Theatre (1963 - 1985) in New Orleans, Louisiana and the beginning of the first National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dark Cowgirls has roots at the Alternate ROOTS Festival in Atlanta, Georgia and its story still lives in communities from Mississippi to California, and from Massachusetts to Florida. It has been performed for women (at the Women in Theater Festival in Boston and the Foot of the Mountain in Minneapolis) and men (the Black Cowboys of Northern Alabama and Northern California). Dark Cowgirls owes its longevity to the many small stubborn sponsors who believed that it was important to tell stories of empowerment and to celebrate the forgotten lives of Black women.
“The production is well written in conversational down-home language, and well acted in storytelling style...It’s as if a touring history pageant had come to the local school and the players turned out to be amazingly talented...The stomping dance to ‘Did You Feed My Cow?’ brings to mind the best parts of ‘Bring In da Noise, Bring In da Funk.” - Anita Gaines, The New York Times
This 50th Anniversary Series play is made possible by a generous grant from the Roy Cockrum Foundation, a foundation which enables theatres to reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions.
Carpetbag Theatre, Inc. is a Knoxville-based professional theatre company who works in partnership with community artists, activists, cultural workers, storytellers, and leaders to create original, theatrical works. Our artistic vision is rooted in the practice of listening, interpreting, and re-imagining the stories of our collective communities. Our mission is to give artistic voice to the issues and dreams of people who have been silenced by racism, classism, sexism, ageism, homophobia and other forms of oppression. For more information visit carpetbagtheatre.org or call 865-544-0447.
Ticket Information:
March 29 - April 1, 2018
Ula Love Carousel Theatre
1704 Andy Holt
Knoxville, TN 37917
7:00 p.m.
General Admission Advance Tickets: $20
General Admission: $25
Students and Seniors: $18
Group Rate for 10 or more: $15/person
You may purchase tickets at carpetbagtheatre.org.
