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We first saw "Slave Play" at the New York Theatre Workshop, and it was clear from the jump that we were witnessing something exceedingly rare: theater at the pinnacle of what theater can do. For hours after the show, we talked about what we had just seen and by the end of the night, we knew we wanted to be a part of bringing this remarkable show to the Golden Theatre on Broadway.
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Collaborating with the brilliant Jeremy O. Harris, Robert O'Hara, that cast(!), Greg Nobile at Seaview Productions, and Troy Carter + the team at Level Forward demands special distinction. For too long, the theater world has been too white and too stodgy, but "Slave Play" represents a watershed moment—a turning point for Broadway, we hope—and we can't wait to watch the show's legacy take shape.
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So without further ado, we hope you enjoy this look back at the "Slave Play" journey as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
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I
A C T O N E W O R K
Kaneisha + Jim
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They are watching me lay in bed every night with a demon who thinks he's a saint.
Kaneisha, Act III
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II
A W O R D F R O M T H E D I R E C T O R
Robert O'Hara
“After reading Slave Play, I thought it presented a bold, outrageous, deeply challenging new voice. I wanted to help give life and care to this new work. I was excited to help facilitate the conversation around race and sex and history, in which the play and the playwright were engaging. It was and is theater for Now. This very moment.”
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III
B O O T
Gary + Dustin
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To speak to you from aggression would mean to speak to you like I care. And I don't. I don't give a fuck anymore.
Gary, Act II
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IV
M c G R E G O R P L A N T A T I O N
Alana + Phillip
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Every book is the same: "A man is sad" "A man is sad so he builds a cabin" "A man is sad so he finds a wife" "A man is sad so he leaves his wife" "A man is sad so he befriends an injun" "A man is sad so he kills an injun" A man is sad" A man is sad" A man is sad."
Alana, Act I
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V
E V E R Y S E A T
Black Out
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On September 18th, 2019, while the production was still in previews, the "Slave Play" team set aside all 804 seats in the Golden Theatre for Black theatergoers—a first in Broadway history. (Pictured above: Jeremy O Harris with moderators Hunter Harris and Casey Gerald holding a talkback following the Black Out performance)
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VI
S T A R B U C K S
Patricia + Teá
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This is not a place for masks, and a lot of masks, the ones we hold up on and over our faces every day, are starting to come off.
Patricia, Act II
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VII
T E X T
By the Book
While nothing beats seeing it on stage, the magic of "Slave Play" is all there on the page—the funny, the searing, the provocative.
Act I: We watch as Kaneisha, a slave, casually (and badly) sweeps the floor of the open living area. Looking down and over distrust- fully at the bear-skin rug between broom strokes.
Suddenly, from above, Rihanna’s “Work” begins to play.
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VIII
S T A G E D
The Production
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The richness and dynamism of the text was matched beat by beat by the creative team behind this production, with scenic design by Clint Ramos, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, sound design by Lindsay Jones, intimacy director Claire Warden, and hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan.
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IX
A R U N F O R T H E A G E S
The Legacy of "Slave Play"
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Slave Play is a comedy of sorts. It should be played as such. I’m not sure where the music is coming from but it’s there. You should not work to make the audience comfortable with what they are witnessing at all...
Jeremy O. Harris
From the "Notes on Style" at the beginning of the "Slave Play" book
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