It is 1849. A wooden box with a lock faces the audience center stage as thunderous music is heard overhead. The Spirit (Jasmine Gatewood) silences the crowd with graceful movements of her arms — a smile spreads across her lips as she moves around the stage. The Spirit hums a soft tune and when she finally approaches the box, Henry “Box” Brown emerges (Andrew Hardin) into the light.
Henry narrates his story through deep and gut-wrenching monologues throughout “Blackbox.” His story travels over the course of years, from his early childhood to the day he was separated from his family and wife, Nancy, and then, to the day he set forth on his path to freedom. Every line of dialogue in the show was carefully crafted to capture Henry’s struggles and was often emphasized by the setting of the dark hues of the night or the golden rays of moonlight that shined upon him. In particular, the use of lighting in “Blackbox” behaved as its own character. This is clearly seen in the first few minutes of the show when Henry steps into the box, and after he is locked into it, The Spirit drapes a white cloth against the box before Henry’s silhouette is reflected upon it. The silhouette shows him struggling to unbind himself from chains, and his grunts of pain echo throughout the room until he is finally let out.
Though enslaved for several years, Henry was also known to be a magician, allowing the play’s production team to play with visually enchanting tricks. These moments in the show were sudden and played well into the narrative of a man quite literally hiding tricks up his sleeves to achieve a happier future.
Magic was one enchanting factor of the play, but Hardin and Gatewood’s singing further mesmerized the audience. Hardin takes up the character of Nat Turner, the leader of the Nat Turner Slave Rebellion in 1831, during one scene. Hardin stands behind a podium as a blue light is cast over him. His powerful voice captures the passion behind Turner’s reason for revolting, recalling how the heavens and gods told him to “slay his enemies with their own weapons.” As Hardin evokes every ounce of Turner’s character, Gatewood loudly sings alongside him. It is one of the play’s strongest scenes that highlights themes such as religion and the fight for freedom.
The multiplicity of characters in a two-actor show was a strong factor in “Blackbox.” The Spirit is a multitude of characters, from Henry’s mother to malevolent slave owners who punished Henry’s family. Through quick costume changes and adaptability of body language, Gatewood distinctly became every character she played as The Spirit. During one of the show’s many impactful scenes, Henry recalls the day his wife’s master asked him to pray for his well-being after growing ill. Henry, bound to the almighty, does as he is told and tells the rest of the enslaved to pray for their master as well. The master recovers into health and, after being told by his wife that the enslaved’s prayers were worth nothing, Henry says, “He whipped every single one who said a prayer for him.” The Spirit thus represents each of the enslaved as they cry out in agony for suffering through an inhumane punishment.
The day of Henry’s saddest moment arrives. He narrates how his wife and three children were sold to a vile minister. Henry pleads to say goodbye to his family in the proper way one last time, but, unfortunately, his attempts prove futile. On the day his family is shipped off, Henry says goodbye to them in their chains along with 350 slaves bound with them. The shadows of the enslaved are shown against the backdrop of the stage as Gatewood powerfully sings one of the show’s most tragic songs.
Feeling distraught, Henry begins to break himself from Christianity, questioning the actions of the almighty. As the days go on, Henry returns to his choir and adjusts to “normality” once again. While working one day, Henry exclaims that freedom breathed into him a prayer from the almighty that lent him their aid. He decides to plan his escape.
In 1849, Henry mailed himself into a wooden box for freedom. Though his body is concealed from the audience, Henry’s shadow shows the grueling positions he endured during his journey. The Spirit opened the box, and at first, it seemed that Henry would come out, but instead, The Spirit jumps into the box. The audience is stunned — confused even — until a light points toward a free Henry who runs onto the stage. Henry and The Spirit reunite a final time through a jolly song as “Blackbox” comes to an end.
After the show, dramaturg Aedan Ferrara was joined onstage by Costume Shop Manager, Landis Maren York, and “Blackbox’s” playwright, Rickerby Hinds. Ferrara asked Hinds how the play came to be. Hinds explained that Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. had reached out to several playwrights about plays that dealt with American history. Hinds noted that he wanted to do a play that had magic in it, and after doing research, the story of Henry “Box” Brown became his to adapt.
Ferrara then asked York about the challenges she may have encountered when designing costumes for a play that dealt with magic. “This is my first encounter with magic up close. . . I kinda took my cues from our Magic Consultant, Naathan Phan, [who] guided me on how these illusions are created,” York said.
Hardin and Gatewood later joined the panel. Gatewood recalled that though they had a short amount of time to work with the production of the show, she expressed gratefulness for being able to live and grow in the character’s she cleverly portrayed.
“Blackbox” was a brilliant show that will always be remembered for its incredible writing and emotional performances. Congratulations to TFDP and “Blackbox’s” production team for an outstanding work of art.
