Home / Arts and Entertainment / Black Sisters Become Vigilantes in 1890s Texas Musical
Black Sisters Become Vigilantes in 1890s Texas Musical
9 Nov
Summary
- Twin sisters pass for white to become vigilantes in 1890s Texas.
- The musical is based on family lore passed down through generations.
- Early scenes depict sharecropping and an encounter with a landowner.
The musical 'Wanted,' set in 1893 Texas, draws from writer Angelica Chéri's family history concerning her great-great aunts, Mary and Martha Clarke. These Black twin sisters reportedly passed as white and engaged in criminal activities in post-Emancipation Texas.
The narrative begins with the sisters working as sharecroppers, dreaming of owning the land where their ancestors toiled. Following an upsetting encounter with their landowner, the sisters adopt white identities to seek better employment, discovering a talent for vigilantism and banditry.
Director Stevie Walker-Webb stages these heists as lighthearted comedic events. The production features Beowulf Boritt's adaptable set design and significant scenic projections, though some visual elements have been likened to AI-generated advertisements.
