“Gees Bend” Play

The play “Gees Bend” was written by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder, and debuted to sold-out audiences at the Alabama Shakespeare Theatre several years ago. It has been performed by various theatre groups throughout the US. The play is based on the life of Gees Bend Quilter, Ms. Mary Lee Bendolph. It tells her story of unbelievable hardship and the struggle in this isolated Wilcox County Hamlet. The main character, Sadie, inspired by a visit to Gees Bend by Dr. Martin Luther King, joins in the local Civil Rights movement, bravely registering to vote, and drinking from the “White’s Only” water fountain. She becomes a part of the Freedom Quilting Bee, and later sees her own quilts exhibited in art galleries throughout the nation. The Gees Bend Ferry and its role in the lives of the Gees Beenders is woven throughout this inspiring story. The play “Gees Bend”, is performed by local Gees Bend actors. They have performed the play on 9 previous occasions, in Gees Bend to large audiences, in Camden as part of the Patchwork Arts Festival, and most recently, at the Hilltop Montesori School in Vermont, where all 3 performances were to sold-out crowds. The ticket price will be $5 per ticket.