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Angélique  Quebec's oft-denied history of slavery By Stephen Weir / Caribbean Camera It took twenty years but as the spring stage season draws to a close, the most important Black History play just hit the boards, not with a thud but an explosion.   Ang é lique is the true story of a young domestic slave, who was blamed for setting fire to Montreal and was tortured and hanged for her troubles. The 285-year old saga is not a state secret. However, the fact that there was slavery in Lower Canada (now the province of Quebec), and at least one black woman who fought back is not a well-known fact. Ang é lique  a classic Canadian play written by the late Lorena Gale, is based on the transcripts of the trial in 1724 of Angelique. The current remount produced by Factory and Obsidian Theatre (mounted initially by the Quebec - based   Black Theatre Workshop) draws a line from this relatively unknown event to the province ' s contemporary struggles with racism. ...

Marie-Joseph Angélique will Burn Down The House By Stephen Weir It is not as though the story of how Angélique, a young Montreal domestic slave, set fire to Montreal and was hanged for her trouble is a state secret. However, the fact that there was slavery in Canada, and at least one black woman fought back in 1724, is not a well-known fact. “ The trouble with history is knowing whose version of the facts are real.   While the establishment might see Angélique, as a villain, the Black community will have a different take, " said Luke Reece a Producer at Obsidian Theatre. " Next week we are opening AngÄlique a play that tells her story and gives a vibrant account of Canadian Black history. " Angélique, a classic Canadian play written by the late Lorena Gale, is based on the transcripts of the trial of an enslaved Black woman who was tortured and hanged for the Montreal fire 245 years ago. The current drama (mounted initially by the Quebec based Black Th...