June 4, 2024 – The HBO Original documentary SLAVE PLAY. NOT A MOVIE. A PLAY., directed by Jeremy O. Harris, debuts THURSDAY, JUNE 20 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. The documentary will have its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival.

Synopsis:

“Slave Play” was one of Broadway’s most celebrated, genre-bending, and daring productions – breaking records and receiving critical acclaim for tackling race, sex, and interracial relationships in a way never before seen on stage. In this playful and provocative documentary, playwright Jeremy O. Harris takes viewers behind the scenes, from run-throughs to performance, as he strips down his own work and directs new actors through workshop rehearsals. As the acting students parse the text and bring meaning to the words on the page, Harris turns his critical eye to the thoughts, inspirations, and creative process that brought the play to life.

In his documentary directorial debut, Harris confronts the debate surrounding the play received head-on, reflecting both on its success, including 12 Tony Award(R) nominations, and the outrage it provoked. Probing the incendiary nature of the text, Harris and his actors search for the truth within each of the eight roles that play on and subvert racial stereotypes and power inequalities within interracial couples. Intercutting the rehearsal sessions with clips from the live stage performances, Harris reveals the polarizing impacts of the play with laughter and applause from some audiences and anger, discomfort, and derision from others. Challenging our own history and modern paradigms, SLAVE PLAY. NOT A MOVIE. A PLAY. invites us to live in uncomfortable spaces and reimagine the possibilities of theater itself.

Featured Participants:

Playwright Jeremy O. Harris is joined by the actors from New York’s William Esper Studio.

Credits:

HBO Documentary Films presents SLAVE PLAY. NOT A MOVIE. A PLAY. Directed by Jeremy O. Harris; produced by Chris Moukarbel and Natalia Leigh-Brown; edited by Peter Ohs and Teki Cruickshank; composer, Isabella Summers; cinematographer, Matt Klammer; sound design & mix by Jeremy Grody; co-producer, Jamie McBriety; For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen.