The quilts of Gee's Bend woven into a moving play at Aurora Fox

A production of the play Gee's Bend is on stage at the Aurora Fox Arts Center. Gee's Bend tells the story of a family of quilters from the isolated town of Gee's Bend, Alabama as they face the challenges of segregation, household conflict, and the Southern Freedom Movement. The quilts these women make mark their successes and setbacks, and are eventually recognized as art. 

"Quilting really represents the importance of tradition. The importance of holding on to past times that we can often times overlook but are so integral to the weaving of our society of our global and national communities that we interact with. The importance of harnessing this history to teach us in the present and move us into the future," said Yasmine Emani Hunter, who plays "Sadie" in Gee's Bend. 

The audience sees Sadie at various ages including 15, 41 and 78. The play chronicles how she perseveres over the years.

"It really forces me to take a step back and be very, very intentional and observant of the world around me. Really to take in the characters that play in my life and channeling their spirits as I embody all of these different periods of time, two of which I haven't even stepped into yet," Hunter explained.

The Aurora Fox Arts Center production is being directed by donnie l. betts, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and founding member of two theater companies in Denver. 

"This parallels the story of Gee's Bend. Their rights were under attack because of a great visit by MLK Jr. at the time. Sadie finds her voice... her political voice... so that's what I want people to come away with. We're still here. We're still fighting," betts told CBS News Colorado

LINK: For Tickets & Information about Gee's Bend at Aurora Fox Arts Center

Gee's Bend is on the Mainstage Theater at Aurora Fox Arts Center through Sunday, February 23, 2025