BY ALYSSA MAHADEO
The trials and tribulations of women are a testament to the strength, power, and resilience they possess, especially women of colour. Throughout the years they have been dealt a difficult hand and yet, have come out stronger because of it.
In a new play from the company that brought you Do You Remember Me, featured at the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival, G.I.A Productions presents Pieces of a Black Woman’s Soul, a story detailing the complex realities of the Black female experience of this generation.
Written by Greg Birkett and directed by Andy Marshall, co-creator of the primetime TV show Soul, the play follows the lives of four Black women who befriend each other in high school. Excited and optimistic about their future, they compose four letters detailing their tentative hopes and dreams for the future, promising one another to reconnect after ten years. They make plans to discuss the contents of each of their letters to see if any of their goals have come to fruition. As the years pass, they each face their own respective circumstances, their only similarity is that they are Black women.
With four very different personalities and life paths, how will the challenges of being a woman of colour impact the way they make decisions, influence their opportunities and ultimately determine their destiny?
This play is sure to take the audience on an emotional journey of love, and friendship, as they follow these women through life and the challenges associated with transitioning from girls to women in a world that can be difficult to negotiate for individuals placed within the confines of their particular gender and race. Based on testimonials, focus groups, research and everyday conversation, the play uses dynamic dialogues, spoken word and music to explore the unique circumstances navigated by Black women in a millennial society.
The cast includes the local talents of Kamilla McClean as Jillian, Lisa Pilgrim as Nicole, Cassy Woodley as Tanya, and Natasha Reason as Arlene – the four main characters who open their hearts and souls to each other, and strive to overcome the different challenges they face, looking to their faith to find their way through.
The play is meant to spotlight the struggles of women of colour, and encourage questions to spark the conversation about breaking the stereotypes that follow them even in today’s modern society. It hopes to educate the audience on how they can contribute to a better, more positive society by making way for the power that women of colour have to give the world, empowering young girls to find their potential and walk proudly into their future.
The play will be presented on Saturday September 3rd at 8:30pm, and Sunday September 4th, 2016 2:30pm and 7pm at the Artscape Sandbox, located at 301 Adelaide St. West. Tickets for Pieces of A Black Woman’s Soul are $25 in advance and can be purchased at giaproductions8@gmail.com.
