NHP’s Resident Dramaturg Phaedra Michelle Scott is also an accomplished playwright. Her play Plantation Black premieres at InterAct Theatre Company this winter.

Two centuries after a murky agreement binds a Civil War era plantation family to the enslaved people working the land, the white and Black Prioleau descendants must finally determine who is the rightful heir.

A cast of six actors play both the Civil War and present-day characters, and each night the play begins at a different point in the timeline when a cast member spins a drum bearing the names of all the scenes in the play.

Plantation Black’s innovative structure evokes the way history repeats itself, and the (sometimes) random ways we learn about our national and personal history.

The play has six potential starting points. About 20 minutes before each performance, they will pull a ball from the raffle drum to see where the story will start. Audiences can return for the chance to see the play start in a different place (no guarantees!) by purchasing discounted tickets for multiple performances.