A Century of Sparrows

Run Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, no intermission

“There is a special providence in the fall of a Sparrow. If it be now, ‘tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now...yet it will come—the readiness is all.” -Hamlet

A CENTURY OF SPARROWS follows six Ojibwe grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who each bear the Sparrow name. Bound by blood, spirit, and story, these Sparrows navigate the interwoven threads of generational trauma and resilience. From the all-too-true history of Indian Boarding Schools to the private heartbreaks of infertility, the Sparrow women face these events that affect their family and culture. Yet through grief and survival, they remain tethered—sometimes painfully, sometimes lovingly—across time. As ancestors watch over descendants and daughters inherit both burdens and blessings, the play explores how memory, spirit, and pain echo both backward and forward. These women see themselves in each other, for better or worse. This play is told non-linearly to ask: Can the past ever be healed through the future? And what does it mean to mother a lineage that mothers you in return?

CHARACTERS (3)

GRANDMOTHER: 60s/70s Native Woman

MOTHER: 40s Native Woman

DAUGHTER: 20s Native Woman

These women play…

ASHAWEIA SPARROW

The grandma everyone deserves. The mother who will lie to you for your good. The daughter who never took “no” for an answer.

WINONA SPARROW

The grandma you can’t tell people about. The mother who embarrasses you. The daughter who always believes in you.

MEG SPARROW

The grandma no one can figure out. The mother you found. The daughter who learned how to grieve too young.

LOUISE SPARROW