There is a young lady by the name of, Chelsea Harrison. She is a Cincinnati, Ohio based actress, artist, playwright and co-producer Trained at the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington DC and a recent graduate of New York University, she premiered her written and produced play entitled Daughters of the Bayou.
It is a retelling of three Louisiana women, the unveiling of a dark family history that involves voodoo, the sacred teaching of herbalism, sex slavery and death.
It is a retelling of three Louisiana women, the unveiling of a dark family history that involves voodoo, the sacred teaching of herbalism, sex slavery and death.
Concerned with the recent events of today, particularly the shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, Chelsea was inspired to write this play to bring Creole heritage to the forefront of our knowledge. She saw the folly in being ignorant to our own history so she created a world where we can experience the truth about ourselves as Americans although "...complex, multilayered and bursting with color", as written in the Director Statement.
The play premièred at the Weeksville Heritage Center in Brooklyn, New York July 18, 2015. It featured a tour of the historical homes in early 19th century, a head-wrapping station with White cloth which symbolizes purity, an herbal garden, and an informational display of Creole women of the time. The cast, a small group of astounding young Black women who were committed to their character and brought Chelsea's vision to life.
I am especially proud of this young woman for her tenacity. With an intimate company of supporters she put this together, self promoted, and celebrated her work along the way. She took action against injustice by using creativity as a vehicle for change first by bringing awareness, painting a picture so clear that it drive s the audience to the point emotional disruptance, a place of vulnerability and intrigue. And finally, by being honest with herself in her need to take action.
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