Slave Play | Off Broadway, Broadway and West End Guide
Slave Play "The Controversy" - Podcast 4:52
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Slave Play
Jeremy O. Harris’ provocative three‑act play about race, intimacy, and power
Slave Play is a three‑act play written by Jeremy O. Harris about race, sex, power relations, trauma, and interracial relationships, first staged at New York Theatre Workshop in 2018 and later transferring to Broadway.
About the Play
The play follows three interracial couples who undergo “Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy” after the Black partners begin struggling to feel arousal or pleasure with their white partners. The title refers both to the history of slavery in the United States and to sexual role‑play.
Quick facts
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris
Director Robert O’Hara (major productions)
Premiere 19 Nov 2018 • New York Theatre Workshop
Broadway Opened 6 Oct 2019 • John Golden Theatre
Plot Synopsis
Act One: “Work”
The couples participate in a role‑play set on a pre‑Civil War plantation. The scenes are designed to expose how each partnership negotiates power, performance, and the boundaries of fantasy.
Act Two: “Process”
The play shifts to a contemporary group therapy session where the couples and the therapists argue over whether the process is healing, harmful, or simply revealing truths that can’t be ignored.
Act Three: “Exorcise”
The final act drives toward confrontation and rupture as the characters try to name what is “working,” what is breaking, and what cannot be repaired inside the system they have chosen.
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Characters
The three couples (plus the therapists)
Kaneisha & Jim • Phillip & Alana • Dustin & Gary
Teá & Patricia — the couple/therapists who created the study and lead the sessions.
Production History
| Production | Venue | Dates / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Off‑Broadway (2018) | New York Theatre Workshop | Previews began 19 Nov 2018; officially premiered 9 Dec 2018; extended through 13 Jan 2019. |
| Broadway (2019–2020) | John Golden Theatre | Opened 6 Oct 2019; limited engagement closed 19 Jan 2020. Included ticket‑access initiatives and “Blackout” events. |
| Broadway remount (2021–2022) | August Wilson Theatre | Ran 23 Nov 2021 – 23 Jan 2022; transferred to Los Angeles’ Mark Taper Forum (Feb–Mar 2022). |
| West End (2024) | Noël Coward Theatre, London | Performances began 29 Jun 2024; scheduled through 21 Sep 2024 (limited engagement). |
Principal cast snapshot
Notable names across major runs include Teyonah Parris (off‑Broadway Kaneisha), Joaquina Kalukango (original Broadway Kaneisha), and Kit Harington (Broadway/West End Jim), among others.
Awards & Nominations
Slave Play became a headline‑making nomination leader. At the 74th Tony Awards, it received 12 nominations (a record for a non‑musical play at the time) but won none.
| Year | Award | Category / Note | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lucille Lortel Awards | Best Play (Off‑Broadway) | Nominated |
| 2019 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Fight Choreography (Claire Warden) | Won |
| 2021 | Tony Awards (74th) | 12 nominations (record at the time) | Nominated (no wins) |
Reception
Critical reception has been strongly divided — defended by some writers for its unflinching critique of racism and “respectability politics,” and criticized by others for its imagery and methods. The debate became part of the play’s cultural footprint.
Broadway Production
