Photo Flash: MetroStage's GEE'S BEND, Now Playing

Gee's Bend by Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder and directed by Thomas W. Jones II, music directed by William Hubbard and William Knowles will be in performance at MetroStage tonight, Sept. 12-Nov. 3. Gee's Bend tells the true story of the Pettway family in Gee's Bend, Alabama, as they live through segregation, the Civil Rights Movement and become famous for their iconic quilts. All of this is told with a backdrop of soul-stirring music in the gospel tradition that the Gee's Bend women sang as they quilted. Check out a first look below!

The year is 1939 and young Sadie and Nella are at the river, Gee's Bend being literally in the bend of the Alabama River, a land where these former slaves have lived for generations. Over time they marry and the 1960's Civil Rights Movement comes to them when Martin Luther King Jr. stops by Gee's Bend the night before the famous march from Selma, a city not far from Gee's Bend,. The lives of these families is also defined by their quilt making, the quilts being for special occasions like the wedding quilt as well as for everyday comfort. Their lives change dramatically when their quilts are discovered and are recognized as works of art, with exhibitions in all of the major museums around the country (including the Whitney in NYC and the Corcoran in DC.) As works of art the quilts have been compared to the art of Paul Klee, Frank Stella and Henri Matisse.

Performances for Gee's Bend will be Thursdays and Fridays at 8, Saturdays at 3 and 8, Sundays at 3 and 7, Sept. 12-Nov. 3. Thursday Sept. 12 will be PWYC (minimum $10). For ticket reservations call 800 494-8497 or go online towww.metrostage.org. For information and group sales call 703-548-9044. MetroStage is located at 1201 North Royal St. in North Old Town Alexandria. There is a free parking lot and fine dining nearby. The theatre is handicap accessible.

Photo credit: Chris Banks