Slave Play

Slave Play received 12 nominations, surpassing the record previously held by the 2018 revival of Angels in America for the most nominations ever received by a non-musical play at the 74th Tony Awards. The production is directed by Lambda Award-winning playwright and director Robert O’Hara (Insurrection: Holding History, Antebellum, Bootycandy). Written by three-time Tony nominee Jeremy Harris (Zola, Ain’t No Mo’, The Sign in Sidney Brunstein’s Window, Circle Jerk), the show deals with issues of sexuality, interracial relationships, power plays in relationships, race, and trauma. The cast includes Fisayo Akinade, Kit Harington, Aaron Heffernan, and Olivia Washington, along with James Cusati-Moyer, Chalia La Tour, Annie McNamara, and Irene Sofia Lucio, who will reprise their roles from the original Broadway production.

The Story

Jeremy O. Harris's Slave Play is a provocative three-act drama that delves into race, sex, power dynamics, trauma, and interracial relationships. The story centres on three interracial couples who undergo "Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy" after the Black partners lose sexual interest in their white partners. The title cleverly alludes to both the history of American slavery and the concept of sexual role-play involving slavery themes.