Mrs. Lois Larcom: Lowell mills Boardinghouse Keeper

Award-winning storyteller Kate Carney, in costume and character as “Mrs. Lois Larcom, Lowell Mills Boardinghouse Keeper” invites us into her Lawrence Corporation house to hear stories in an historical role-playing experience set in Lowell MA, 1843. She declares the factory girls the best thing about Lowell -- they make their own money, send some of it home, attend lectures/classes and publish their own literary journal.
But everything’s changing in Lowell. After having been lured to Lowell by the promise of a living wage, things are going down hill – the girls’ pay is dwindling, and they’re working in dangerous conditions13 hours a day. Some mill girls want to improve conditions, however, the Larcoms can’t afford to lose their jobs.
Mrs. Larcom never spoke up before. Still, she can’t make ends meet and her favorite boarder’s hair just got caught in a loom. Should she add her voice to the protests?
Listeners exchange questions and answers with this hospitable housemother who asks "What is happening to the promise of Lowell? They promised us females financial security!" It’s a spell-binding story as fresh as today’s headlines.