Play-within-a-play reframes historical views of race, slavery

Race and slavery are explored in provocative ways in “An Octoroon.”

Available Light Theatre will present the offBroadway play, which will open Thursday in the Riffe Center.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s darkly comic play-withina-play reimagines and critiques “The Octoroon,” Dion Boucicault’s 1859 melodrama about a woman, raised as white on a Southern plantation, who is oneeighth black and finds herself in danger of being sold.

“Jacobs-Jenkins is a comic genius,” director Matt Slaybaugh said.

“Often, the funniest parts of his writing are also the most disturbing and distasteful.”

The black American playwright uses much of the original dialogue, characters and plot of Boucicault’s play but reframes it to raise disturbing questions about slavery and race in America.

“There are times you think he must be exaggerating about the way they talk about the enslaved What: “An Octoroon” Who: Available Light Theatre Where: Riffe Center’s Studio Two Theatre, 77 S. High St. Contact: 614-558-7408, www.avltheatre.com Showtimes: 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, May 25-26 and May 31 to June 2; and 2 p.m. May 27 Tickets: $22.75 online, with limited “pay what you want” tickets at the door

characters,” Slaybaugh said, “but Jacobs-Jenkins is quoting the exact dialogue from one of the most popular plays in American history.”

Widely staged in the 19th century, Boucicault’s play was hailed as a masterpiece and acclaimed for its antislavery theme. Yet, today, the melodrama seems reactionary and stereotypical.

“This is definitely the most challenging play I’ve directed,” Slaybaugh said.

“We’re trying to set the tone just right, to have comedy but also heart and, frankly, horror, while the actors are dealing with those awful things.”

Colleen Nerney plays Zoe, the title character.

“Innocent, gentle and desirable, she is a tragic heroine who embodies a lot of Southern-belle stereotypes,” Nerney said.

Raised as a lady of the house and the daughter of the plantation owner, Zoe looks and passes as white.

“But it’s an open secret in the community that her mother was a one-quarterblack slave,” Nerney said.

“At that time in the 1850s in Louisiana, that was a source of shame for her. Taught her entire life that people who are black are lesser, Zoe refers to herself as a creature, as unclean, as a poisonous thing. It’s hard for her to understand that her feelings about herself and the attitudes of her community are based in racism.”

Wilma Hatton plays Minnie, a house slave.

“Despite her position, I find her quite intriguing,” Hatton said.

“Although born on the plantation and a slave there her entire life, she is a free spirit. ... Nothing really gets to her. To her, it’s like a job. She will do what she needs to do to survive.”

Minnie, who enjoys drinking in the servant quarters and socializing with other slaves, sparks much of the comic relief.

“Minnie and Dido, the other female house servant, are the eyes and ears of what’s going on in the house. ... Jenkins’ adaptation asks how has race played historically and what has it done to continue to divide us,” Hatton said.

“The original play ended sadly and darkly. Jenkins opens the door to the possibility of hope, but there are no easy answers.”

First staged in 2014 at New York’s Soho Rep and co-winner of a 2014 Obie Award for Best New American Play, the twoact piece is suggested for mature audiences because of mature content, profanity and other strong language (including use of the “N” word) and racial themes.

“We are aware that some people won’t like the play or will be offended by some things in it,” Slaybaugh said.

“But as a frank portrayal of a chapter in American history and culture, the play is important enough that we think it’s worth the risk.”