Curriculum Connections
Storytelling, oral history, African American history, American immigrant narratives, social-emotional awareness.
California State Standards
RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
RL.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Performance Description
Pigfoot Mary, secretly wealthy from her popular food stand, dreams of California's skies and awaits news on a property sale that could mark her departure from Harlem. But leaving isn't easy— her world includes Hot Fingers the Piano Player, The Garveyite, Zora Neale Hurston, and the famous Langston Hughes. Is her legacy in the food and friendships she's built or in following a new dream?
Inspired by Lillian Harris Dean, one of Harlem's most successful early entrepreneurs in the 1920s, this lively two-actor play bursts with jazz, vibrant characters, and dances of the Harlem Renaissance. We get a taste of literature and historical references throughout, and audiences will connect the past to today in a fun, poignant, and educational way.
Written, Directed, and featuring Daniel Carlton
Produced by First Woman LLC
Founded by Nambi E. Kelley, First Woman LLC develops and tours new theatrical works that center Black history, youth empowerment, and intergenerational storytelling. With five national tours to date, the company has built a reputation for producing culturally resonant, educationally impactful, and interactive theatrical experiences that travel nationally and internationally.
First Woman was last seen at the Gallo in 2026 with HERO: THE BOY FROM TROY, A MUSICAL ABOUT YOUNG JOHN LEWIS.
