On March 25, 1911 a factory fire took the lives of 146 poor, young immigrant women at the Triangle Factory in New York.
This tragic incident was made even more horrific due to the lack of basic safety standards that should have been in place. Emergency exit doors were barred and stairways were blocked, trapping garment workers within.
After 100 years the garment industry still appears to ignore the ramifications of poor safety procedure and horrific conditions continue as showed by the 2012 in the Tazreen Fashion factory on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It was the “deadliest factory fire in the nation’s history” with at least 117 people confirmed dead in the fire, and more than 200 injured.
TheatreWorks will be commemorating the anniversary of the Triangle Factory Fire by reenacting the strike that was a long and drawn-out hardship for the garment workers but was supported by union and the suffragettes. TheatreWorks cast and family will be striking in remembrance on March 25 at 5 p.m. Look for the costumed procession on Fifth St. and Cliffe Ave. or near the bridge at Lewis Park. Feel free to honk and acknowledge the bravery of young women and remember the sacrifices they made to better their working conditions.
TheatreWorks’ next production, Threads of Change, is set to tell the heartfelt tales of these young courageous women. Threads of Change will play at the Old Church Theatre May 15-16.
For further information about the production, contact theatreworks@shaw.ca or www.theatreworksonline.com
