Colored Silk - A Civil War Odyssey ***

 It's fair to say that Elizabeth Keckley lived a life less ordinary. Emancipated slave turned dressmaker to Abraham Lincoln’s wife, the roll call of her achievements includes fashionista, writer, entrepreneur, activist and fundraiser. Tami Tyree tells her story at Milan Fringe in Colored Silk.

Born early in the nineteenth century into slavery, Keckley endured a typically brutal upbringing, including rape and beatings, despite being the daughter of the head of the household. As a result of the repeated rapes, she became a mother.

When Keckley met her future husband, she refused to marry him until she and her son were free, because she did not want to have another child born into slavery. As Tyree says: “Why would I want to bring another child into this world?”

Her owner set a release price for her and her son of $1,200 – equivalent to more than $40,000 in today’s money. Undeterred by this extraordinary sum, with the help of her patron she somehow managed to raise the money to buy their freedom. She married James Keckley, only to later discover that he was in fact still a slave. He relied on her financially and was reported to be abusive.

Once free, she developed her business as a seamstress, employing many people and mixing with exalted company such as Robert E. Lee’s wife. She now enjoyed a burgeoning reputation and met Lincoln’s wife, forming a close friendship with her that led to the White House itself.

After Lincoln’s assassination, Keckley published a book about the Lincolns. This was seen as controversial in some quarters, the perception being that she had crossed a line of confidentiality.

The American Civil War was the inevitable consequence of the ideological fault line that developed between the North and the South, predominantly around slavery. The war pitted neighbour against neighbour, brother against brother, in some states especially. Keckley’s son was one of the many casualties.

She founded a relief association assisting emancipated slaves and Black families during the Civil War. But it was as a dressmaker that she is best remembered.

Tyree opens proceedings with evangelical-style singing, which is joyous – one of the highlights of the show. She has clearly researched Keckley’s story meticulously and conveys her struggles truthfully and articulately; she is an accomplished performer.

At times the pace is a little ponderous and the staging rather static, so the production falls slightly short occasionally, lacking dramatic punch. However, Tyree’s production provides an interesting insight not only into Keckley’s life but also into the turbulent history of nineteenth-century America.