Broadway is effectively closed and the off-Broadway season is just beginning to heat up with previews. I've been sampling around to try and find what will be hot this Spring, and one show has stood out.
The Whipping Man at Manhattan Theatre Club tells the story of a Confederate soldier who returns home at the end of the Civil War to found his home abandoned except for two of the family's slaves (who are now free men). What initially attracted me to the play was that the slaves were Jewish, because they were owned by Jews. I had never heard of Jewish slaves, but in this context it made sense, and I wondered if it was common. Their religious beliefs turned out to be especially poignant as the three men celebrated Passover together. The story of the Jews becoming free paralleled the story of the slaves becoming free. As the play progressed, family secrets were revealed and painful memories were brought back. The men had to reevaluate their relationships and assess just how free they really were.
Let me be clear, this is not a fun show. I left the theater feeling awful. But great theater makes us feel, and The Whipping Man is great theater. At one point, I had to close my eyes and cover my ears. It was disturbing, but the American history of slavery is disturbing and we should all have to face that. This is an important, powerful play and I highly recommend it.
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