A series of musical vignettes reflecting on the legacy of abolition and feminism of the Grimké Sisters, created for young adults by Terri Hron & Helen Pridmore, with the assistance of Rosabel Choi & Katherine Dowling.
Premiere: 7:30 pm, September 29, 2022 @ Troupe du Jour (914 20th St W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0Y4)
Helen Pridmore: voice
Rosabel Choi: keyboard
Terri Hron: electronics
The Grim Keys. The Grimkés. Sisters. Two remarkable sisters who changed the world.
Sarah and Angelina Grimké were born in the early 1800s, into a wealthy white family in South Carolina. They had everything young girls could wish for: a comfortable home, nice clothes — and enslaved people to take care of them.
Sarah witnessed the abuse of these enslaved people, saw the injustice, and became convinced that something had to change. Angelina joined Sarah in their own revolution. Giving up their home, their fancy clothes, and the respect of their family and their neighbours, Sarah and Angelina travelled, lectured in public, and wrote about the horrors of slavery. They did not give up. Their mission expanded, as they learned more: they began to work for womens’ rights as well. Today, the Grimké sisters are remembered as some of the founding members of the anti-slavery and the gender equality movements.
These movements are still needed. Today, as in the 19th century of the Grimké sisters, we still fight for equal rights, for human rights. In our scenes today, we explore aspects of the work the Grimké sisters did, and connect it with more recent history. We look at Black settlements in the Prairies; we explore prisoner justice; we expose types of slavery that still exist today, in every country.
Are we finding our Promised Land? Are sisters still doing it for themselves? Are we free, all of us?
Helen Pridmore
We are very grateful for the support of the Canada Council for the Arts in the creation of this show.
