Dominique Morisseau's most radical play yet follows two Black women
living more than a century apart as they struggle to free themselves
from parallel systems of oppression.
Confederates tells the story of two women in what at first appear to
be radically different circumstances. Sara is an enslaved rebel ferrying
information from her master's house to nearby Union soldiers. Sandra is
a political science professor enduring misogynoir at a predominantly
white university. As the play progresses, the line between the past and
the present blurs, leading the audience to question how far we have come
since 1865--and how far we still have to go.
In Morisseau's words, "I don't believe in the inhumanity of the
enslaved." This play delves into serious themes with a satirical tone,
never allowing the audience to forget the full complexity of enslaved
people--their humor, their sexuality, and their intelligence--alongside
their pain. In its thematic ambition and its finesse with
sharply-contrasting tones, Confederates is a major work by one of
America's most exciting playwrights.
