The Rev is excited to see more theater with a purpose popping up in western Colorado. Telling our own stories is more valuable than ever in this age of no-nothingism.
The Revolutionist: What is your mission for Three Sister’s Theater Company?
Three Sisters Theater Company: Our official mission statement for Three Sisters Theatre Company is: To bring unapologetically feminist theatre to Western Colorado and to uplift the marginalized voices of LGBTQIA+ individuals, BIPOC, and other underrepresented communities.
We recognize that we are a brand new, growing company, and hope that as people find us, we will be able to expand upon the diverse stories we tell! We will never produce a show that does not come from an authentic voice, so we are actively working on adding, for example, BIPOC voices, as we connect with performers who have the right to tell those stories!
TR: What is the purpose in having an all-female cast?
TSTC: Our original casting call for this production was for individuals with lived female experience—meaning we were open to hearing from women, female-identifying individuals, trans folx, and non-binary performers. We felt that in order to bring women’s stories and perspectives to light, we needed people who have lived it to share their experiences. We had an incredible variety of individuals show up, and we are excited to feature all of their unique voices in our final lineup.
As we continue to grow, we will undoubtedly be doing shows that include male actors, but for this variety show, we want to tell our stories from an authentic point of view!
TR: Where did the name “Cursed to Speak: Herstory Retold” come from? What does it mean?
TSTC: The original concept for our show was to revisit the history of womankind from the perspective of those who lived it. You can’t tell the story of women in history without discussing witchcraft, long-standing oppression, and ignoring women’s voices, stories, and feelings—which is how we came up with the title! Our voices have been silent for too long, and it’s time for us to bring light to the silent generations who persevered before us, as well as the continued repression and politicizing of women’s rights, issues, and autonomy today.
TR: What do you hope women in the audience come away with from your first performance?
TSTC: We would like women to come away feeling valued and seen. In this time of great uncertainty, it is extremely important for women from all backgrounds to understand that they are not alone, that we are in this together, and that the sisterhood is stronger than ever.
TR: What about men?
TSTC: We don’t want to assume that all men are the same, or clueless, or checked out about the female experience. However, our hope is that at least some of our show will be enlightening to men and will bring them some clarity about the female experience. In the end, our historical pieces and pieces about life as women in the present have shockingly similar underlying themes, and we would like to provide inspiration for change. Allyship is invaluable!
TR: What is the importance of having this theater company specifically in the Grand Valley?
TSTC: The Grand Valley is an ever-changing hub for all different kinds of people, and we want to create an outlet and a safe environment for those who feel proud of the open-minded, accepting community we strive to embrace. We know that people can be good, can do better, can care more for the diverse individuals around them, and we are here to put that belief in humanity onstage. We are extremely committed to a non-toxic, safe space to do theatre for our performers, too! Anyone who needs this outlet is safe and at home with us.
TR: You say the performance will be “poignant, funny, heartbreaking, and incredibly moving.” Can you give us a preview of the kinds of pieces audiences will see?
TSTC: There is an incredible lineup of diverse pieces throughout the show—from silly to infuriating to deeply personal, and everything in between! We have a number of musical selections, ranging from musical theatre to country music, performed by an extremely talented cast of singers and musicians. You will see scenes from plays that highlight the female experience, and these scripts range from Ancient Greek to modern day! We have several poems and readings in our lineup, including many that were written by local poets and authors, and some that will be performed by the authors themselves! Powerful movement pieces, sign language, personalized storytelling to share unique, individual perspectives—we have it all! There is something for everyone in this show, and we believe every audience member will be able to relate personally to many of the stories we share.
TR: Womanhood is intersectional. What kinds of diverse stories will be told at “Herstory”?
TSTC: You will see pieces that tell stories from all different perspectives, and we curated our list of works carefully to ensure that we could tell as many stories as possible while still remaining authentic! As I said before, we are still growing and attracting new performers, so we made sure to keep our set list appropriate for the performers we have. (We will not have a white actor tell the story of a BIPOC individual. We respect our differences and our right to share our experiences).
We will discuss women’s history and witchcraft, told from a historical and modern day perspective. We approach religion and the joy and trauma it might bring to different women. We have a scene and song that is specifically about the female, queer experience that was collaboratively written and will be performed by all LGBTQ+ identifying cast members. We discuss motherhood and fertility, harassment, abuse, assault, and the dark and often unfortunate stories we hold deep within ourselves as women.
In the end, we hope that our stories will weave together to share one universal message: that we are all in this together, that we have each other’s backs, and that our voices will no longer be silenced.
The Revolutionist 