Rivers of Women, The Play is a touching, funny, and impactful choreopoem written by Shirley and somewhat inspired by Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls.
“give me rivers
rivers of my sheroes that flowed down thru
the ages of my bloodline
rich like pot liquor
the breathprints of their season
the echos of their names
the strength of my strong
the stor1 my song
their names stitched under
the souls of my feet”
~excerpt of “Give Me Rivers” from Rivers of Women, The Play (2013) by Shirley Bradley LeFlore
Shirley appreciated the format that Ntozake, whom she knew personally, popularized. For over a decade, Shirley gathered poems from her archives and wrote new ones to form a choreopoem centered around her signature piece, “Rivers of Women.” She aimed to narrate a story that captures the beauty and diversity of womanhood through an intergenerational perspective, delving into themes of family, love, loss, triumph, and spirituality, all set to the moving sounds of gospel, jazz, and blues.
In 2011, Shirley teamed up with her daughter, Lyah, to stage a reading of Rivers of Women, which marked Lyah’s directorial debut, and initiated a long-term partnership with producer and musical director Alerica L. Anderson. The performance took place at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis and sold out two shows, featuring Kelly Jenkins along with dancers N. “Pinky” Thomas and Heather Himes. Due to its popularity, Rivers of Women returned to the Missouri History Museum in 2013 for a series of six performances, coinciding with the release of Rivers of Women, The Play by 2Leaf Press, which included photographs by award-winning Chicago photographer and former student, Michael J. Bracey.
Following the founding of SBLF, Lyah and her sisters decided to establish and host an annual fundraising gala showcasing Shirley’s work. In 2022, SBLF presented the third performance of Rivers of Women, The Play, at The Grandel in St. Louis, once again produced by Lyah and Alerica, and directed by Lyah.
In addition to Lyah’s featured appearance, the cast of the 2022 production featured Leah Stewart, Amber Alexandria Rose, Cheeraz Gormon, Pacia Elaine Anderson, and Essence Cunningham-Peoples. The most recent performance of Rivers of Women, The Play also showcased guest vocalists Adrianne Felton King and Angel Riley. Each performer approached their roles in Rivers of Women, The Play with great dedication and passion, fully grasping their responsibility to convey Shirley’s tribute to the Black experience from the perspectives and emotions of women.