Slave Play, a little play, by Jeremy O’Harris, was by far the most controversial play of the season (unless I’m completely blacking out and there were other shows at which white people stood up and yelled, “THIS SHOW IS RACIST AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE!” Let me know).
I had zero idea what this was about before I went to see it all the way back in September but I had a perfect front row, center mezzanine seat and saw my reflection staring back at me, because the set was full of mirrors, while I paged through my Playbill before the show started.
You’d think this show is about slavery from the title, right? Well, the first set that is presented is vaguely plantation-esque so you wouldn’t be wrong. But after the first vignette is over and the second one starts, you start to question what you just saw.
Without giving too much away, this is group therapy for interracial couples working through their feelings about being part of an interracial couple (at least that’s how I remember it). I have to say though that it was nice to see a cast with zero celebrities in it. It had seven no-name, but very talented actors. I would definitely reserve a day when the world is open again to go watch this at Lincoln Center if you didn’t get a chance to see it.