ISBN: 978-0-573-69734-0Thomas Bradshaw Drama 6m, 2f, with doubling Simple Set
When the master of the plantation dies, he wills his slaves to be freed, but his wife doesn't think that good property should be squandered. Pandemonium ensues. The play is inspired by the true story of Henry Box Brown who escaped to the north by mailing himself in a box. Southern Promises provides a unique portrait of the old south. Bradshaw was named Playwright of the year by the theater blog KUL-That Sounds Cool and Southern Promises was named among the best performances of Stage and Screen for 2008 in The New Yorker. "Slowly, almost single-handedly, a twenty-eight-year-old black playwright named Thomas Bradshaw has been taking on the idea of race in the theatre. At the same time, he has sliced open the pretensions of the white avant-garde with a wittily glistening axe. In his new play, Southern Promises (at Performance Space 122), one can catch a glimpse of Bradshaw's anarchic gifts." —The New Yorker. "It's a striking, challenging piece that studies the abuse of power and the liquidity of morality." —NYTheatre.com. "Likely to leave you speechless"—The New York Times. "Thomas Bradshaw's deeply twisted, coolly brutal period drama Southern Promises" —Village Voice. FEE: $75.00 per performance Character Descriptions:ISAIAH - 32, the Master of the plantation
ELIZABETH - 28, his wife
DAVID - 30, Isaiah’s brother
JOHN - 32, Elizabeth’s brother, a minister
BENJAMIN - 32, a loyal slave
CHARLOTTE - 30, Benjamin’s wife, a light-skinned mulatto slave. She should look almost white.
PETER - 37, a slave, Benjamin’s friend
IMAGINARY SLAVE
DOCTOR
CLERK
MAN # 1
MAN # 2
Casting note: The role of Man # 1 can be played by the same actor who plays Isaiah. The roles of Doctor, Clerk, and Man # 2 can be played by the same actor. The role of Imaginary Slave should be played by the same actor who plays Peter. A total of 8 actors are needed. About the author:"Provocateur Thomas Bradshaw continues to needle our notions of morality, making us laugh like madmen at things our Internet browsers would flag as porn." —Time Out NY, Best of 2009Thomas Bradshaw has been featured as one of Time Out New York's ten playwrights to watch, as one of Paper Magazine's 2006 Beautiful People, and Best Provocative Playwright by the Village Voice in 2007. His play entitled Prophet was presented at PS 122 in December 2005 and Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist won The American Theater Coop's 2005 National Playwriting Contest. His was a fellow at New York Theater Workshop in 06-07' and is now a Usual Suspect. Cleansed will also be published in Plays and Playwrights 2008. He has been a member of Soho Rep's writer/Director lab as well as Lincoln Center's. He performed in the premiere of Richard Maxwell's The End Of Reality at The Kitchen in January 2006 and he performed in Young Jean Lee's Pullman, WA at PS 122 in March 2005. He performed throughout Europe with The End Of Reality in the fall of 06'. He received his MFA from Mac Wellman's playwriting program and is a Professor at Brooklyn College and Medgar Evers College. Thomas is also the recipient of a 2006 Jerome Foundation Grant. Strom Thurmond Is Not a Racist was produced in Los Angeles in June 08' and Thomas's play Dawn will receive a workshop with New York Theater Workshop at Dartmouth College in August. Dawn will also be translated into German and be presented at Theater Bielefeld in Germany in October. His play Purity was published by Theaterheute in Germany in April and his play Dawn will be published by Theater Der Zeit in October. He is currently working on an adaptation of The Book Of Job which has been commissioned by Soho Rep. He is also Soho Rep's 2008-2009 Streslin Fellow and a Playwriting Fellow at The Lark Play Development Center. Mr. Bradshaw was awarded a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship.For more information on this author, please click here to visit our Focus on a Playwright area.Other Thomas Bradshaw titles available from Samuel French include:
CleansedDawn Prophet Purity Strom Thurmond is Not a Racist
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