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Harriet Jacobs
By Lydia R. Diamond
Based on the life of Harriet Jacobs,
Author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Directed by Hallie Gordon
Produced by Steppenwolf for Young Adults series
At Steppenwolf Upstairs Theatre
1650 N. Halsted
Chicago, IL
Call 312-335-1650. tickets $20 to the public, 2 for 1 Sunday Matinees
$10 tickets for students for Weekday matinees
Running time is 100 minutes without intermission
Through March 2, 2008
Stinging look at the degradation of slavery unfolds through the eyes of Harriet Jacobs
Steppenwolf for Young Adults series continues with a world premiere of Lydia R. Diamond’s adaptation of Harriett Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (first published in 1861). Filled with haunting spirituals and work songs, Harriet Jacobs is a riveting look at the human cost of slavery told through the eyes of a teenage Harriet Jacobs. This true story is about survival, adaptation and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. We glimpse at the details of slave life on a Southern plantation in the 1850’s. Harriet Jacobs’ story is told vividly with blunt honesty. From the whippings of the men, to the rape by the owners of the Black women, to the forced labor, slave life is dramatized as hard and cruel. We see how the psychological torture can be as devastating as the physical whippings.
Despite the harshness, Harriet Jacobs (Nambi E. Kelley) has a strong sense of pride and self-awareness instilled by her free grandma (Celeste Williams). Harriet shuns the sexual advances of the white master. Grandma has taught Harriet to read and write despite harsh penalties. Jacobs hides in the fantasy world of books as she struggles to find her individuality. When she sleeps with a white man, Sawyer (Sean Walton), she produces two children making her more determined than ever to escape slavery by running to the North.
She concocts an escape plan that involves staying in grandma’s shed for a while before she ventures North. She stays in the cramped shed loft for more than seven years before she ventures to Philadelphia. We witness Harriet’s will to persevere.
Nambi E. Kelley and Celeste Williams anchor a fine cast. Hallie Godron’s fast paced, tuneful drama creates the atmosphere that depicts the drudgery and harshness of slave life. Putting a face on slavery with testimonies from many as well as the showing of the little acts of cruelty offer a powerful statement as to the horrors of that institution. The reaction of the slaves, through quiet defiance renews one’s faith in the power of the human spirit. I hope all high school student get to see this moving play.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: February 9, 2008
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