Slave Play

By Jeremy O. Harris

Directed by Diane Roberts

Montreal Premiere Workshop Reading

Show description

Daring, unforgettable, and controversial, Slave Play hits audiences with the weight of history carried in everyday sexuality. It focuses on the experiences of Black partners in interracial couples as they grapple with the trauma and legacy of American slavery, in this case through highly unusual therapeutic methods.

SLAVE PLAY is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc., a Concord Theatricals Company. www.concordtheatricals.com

** Original Broadway Production Produced by Seaview Productions, Troy Carter, Level Forward, Nine Stories Sing Out Louise! Cohen Hopkins Productions Thomas Laub Blair Russell Salmira Katler Productions WEB Productions OHenry Productions Jeremy O. Harris Mark Shacket, Executive Producer and New York Theater Workshop

Slave Play received its world premiere at the New York Theatre Workshop on December 9, 2018, Jim Nicola, Artistic Director, Jeremy Blocker, Managing Director

Slave Play was developed during a residency at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Playwrights Conference in 2018 Preston Whiteway, Executive Director Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director

Company:

Alexandra Laferrière as Kaneisha

Marc-Antoine Kelertas as Jim

Jeremy Lewis as Phillip

Madeleine Scovil as Alana

Anton May as Gary

Sebastian Quint as Dustin

Tamara Brown as Teá

Julie Tamiko-Manning as Patricia

Grégory-Yves Fénélon | Additional reader

esi callender | Stage directions reader

Corey Weiser | Stage manager

Warning

This play is intended for audiences 18 years and over.

Slave Play is explicit in its use of:

Racial slurs and racist language

Sexual violence

Explicit slavery and historical trauma role-play

Graphic sexual content

Intense emotional and psychologically challenging themes

The Company

Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) is Canada’s longest-running theatre company dedicated to the works of Black and diasporic communities. BTW’s mission is to promote and produce outstanding theatre that educates, entertains, and inspires. Black Theatre Workshop pushes boundaries and inspires dialogue to increase people’s understanding of cultural differences, perspectives, and experiences.

BTW encourages individuals to step outside of their comfort zone, through its honest representation of Black culture and society. BTW is Black, bold, and brave storytelling.

Schedule

22/10/2026, 5pm

The Exchange Pre-Show Conversation

In partnership with Concordia University’s Office of Community Engagement: University of the Streets Cafe

On October 22, don't miss the pre-show University of the Streets Cafe held in the lower lobby of the Segal. In partnership with Concordia University's Office of Community Engagement, we are hosting a conversation around themes of Interracial dating, the objectification of Black bodies, and holding space for the nuances of language and culture on identity.

The pre-show conversation starts at 5:30 before the opening night's reading, with guest speaker Shirlette Wint, a psychotherapist, clinical social worker, researcher, and cultural consultant, BTW Artistic Director Dian Marie Bridge, and Concordia University's Kristen Young.

This pre-show conversation will be catered by Lloydie's, a highly regarded Caribbean restaurant in the area.

22/10/2026, 7pm

Play reading

To book your ticket and/or to participate in the Pre-Show Conversation, please write to pallina@theatrebtw.ca

24/10/2026, 2:30pm

Matinee play reading, followed by a Q&A with the director, actors, and BTW team

24/10/2026, 7pm

Play reading, followed by a Q&A with the director, actors, and BTW team

All events are Pay-What-You-Can online or at the door.

Social Media

Facebook : www.facebook.com/BlackTheatreWorkshop

Instagram/Threads: www.instagram.com/theatrebtw

LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/black-theatre-workshop

Bluesky : https://bsky.app/profile/theatrebtw.bsky.social