Slave Play-Actress replaced mid-scene

[dave1606]

I didn't see anyone post this. I've seen a lot this weekend so haven't really had time. I saw Slave play on Friday night and midway through the final 20ish minutes of play before the actress playing Kaneisha walked across the stage and walked through the bedroom the a door. Before she'd even left, there was an announcement that the role would be played by someone else. Of course what follows in this scene is a very long monologue and her voice seemed to be going though I was surprised that it would happen so soon towards the end of the play? 

Did anyone else see this? 

By the way I know Harris has been quite controversial on this board, and I'm not a fan of his twitter, but I will say I thought his play was great!

 

[Falsettolands]

They also made an announcement they would be replacing the conductor as well! I wonder if there was an altercation between the two of them...

[broadway86]

This is so strange. I saw the play months ago, and today during lunch I was discussing it with someone, and I mentioned how intense that final scene must be for the actress playing it.

[Huss417]

Falsettolands said: "They also made an announcement they would be replacing the conductor as well! I wonder if there was an altercation between the two of them..."

 

"The Conductor"?

 

[Jarethan]

I agree re the play, and the sad part for you is that you missed the scene that has to make her a very strong contender for a Supporting Actress Tony.  I also assume that it must have been very jarring to suddenly see a replacement after seeing her for two straight hours.

While I realize that the show must go on, I have only been in 3 or 4 performances in 55 years where a lead  player was replaced mid-show.  I found that the more invested I was in the show, and the more impressed I was  with the specific performer, the more jarring the change was.

The last show was Big Fish, where Norbert Leo Butz was replaced at intermission.  It was very jarring because, like him or not, Butz is a very charismatic performer; his replacement, who did a fine job, did not have that charisma, and it really hurt Act 2.  (Note: I didn't think much of the show either way, so it was not as disappointing as it might have been.

 

[PianoMann]

Huss417 said: "Falsettolands said: "They also made an announcement they would be replacing the conductor as well! I wonder if there was an altercation between the two of them..."



"The Conductor"?

"

This is a spoof on the Mean Girls thread from a week / few weeks back.

 

[Huss417]

PianoMann said: "Huss417 said: "Falsettolands said: "They also made an announcement they would be replacing the conductor as well! I wonder if there was an altercation between the two of them..."



"The Conductor"?

"

This is a spoof on theMean Girlsthread from a week / few weeks back.

"

It fell flat PianoMann. :)

[AC126748]

Apparently this happened at another performance a few weeks ago.

[The Other One]

I saw the play earlier in the week and her understudy went on for her (all night).  Perhaps she wasn't ready to return.

[VernonGersch]

saw the understudy tonight and she was excellent

[BrodyFosse123]

I remember seeing RENT on Broadway and the actress playing Mimi (forget who it was as I saw the show frequently then) was replaced between scenes without any announcement. One scene ended with Mimi 1, next scene Mimi 2 enters. It took a few seconds to realize it wasn’t the same actress. At the start of Act 2 they did announce the actress playing Mimi for the rest of the show.

[MyLife]

BrodyFosse123 said: "I remember seeing RENT on Broadway and the actress playing Mimi (forget who it was as I saw the show frequently then) was replaced between scenes without any announcement. One scene ended with Mimi 1, next scene Mimi 2 enters. It took a few seconds to realize it wasn’t the same actress. At the start of Act 2 they did announce the actress playing Mimi for the rest of the show."

I'm sure that wasn't the only time that happened but I was there a time Mimi was replaced too. If I remember correctly, she was replaced between right before Christmas Bells because I remember "There, that's her. Maureen? Mimi!" and I was like "Um...no it's not"

Apparently Mimi had run into a metal bar backstage...

[Auggie27]

I saw Betty Buckley replaced by Karen Mason halfway through "Sunset." A Saturday matinee in June. Buckely had been in strong voice, but it wasn't her best performance. Mason got to take the roof off with "As if we..." and did. 

MILD SPOILER: I believe the last 20 minutes of "Slave Play" are extraordinarily difficult to perform, in no small part because the play takes a stylistic turn and the reality of the final scene is in such contrast to the stylized portion of the middle (those two facilitators are in their own play).  I'm not a big fan of the piece, but agree that her performance of the monologue alone is Tony worthy.  What follows I found unsettling, but not in a good way. Two friends, both theater folk of color (one F, one M), loathed the play, and have very strong feelings about that final event and how it's staged. I feel as if the white audience in that decidedly white space has a different experience of it. My friends certainly invited me to consider the impact of the storytelling in the very white world of B'way.  

[haterobics]

Huss417 said: "It fell flat PianoMann. :)"

Not at all, I laughed out loud when I read it.

[Bettyboy72]

Auggie27 said: "I saw Betty Buckley replaced by Karen Mason halfway through "Sunset." A Saturday matinee in June. Buckely had been in strong voice, but it wasn't her best performance. Mason got to take the roof off with "As if we..." and did.

MILD SPOILER: I believe the last 20 minutes of "Slave Play" are extraordinarily difficult to perform, in no small part because the play takes a stylistic turn and the reality of the final scene is in such contrast to the stylized portion of the middle (those two facilitators are in their own play). I'm not a big fan of the piece, but agree that her performance of the monologue alone is Tony worthy. What follows I found unsettling, but not in a good way. Two friends, both theater folkof color (one F, one M), loathed the play, and have very strong feelings about that final event and how it's staged. I feel as if the white audience in that decidedly white space has a different experience of it. My friends certainly invited me to consider the impact of the storytelling in the very white world of B'way."

There’s a reason the original off Broadway actress playing the part wanted no part of a return  Its grueling and not in the typical ways a role weighs on you  

 

 

[Valentina3]

Auggie27 said: "I saw Betty Buckley replaced by Karen Mason halfway through "Sunset." A Saturday matinee in June. Buckely had been in strong voice, but it wasn't her best performance. Mason got to take the roof off with "As if we..." and did.

MILD SPOILER: I believe the last 20 minutes of "Slave Play" are extraordinarily difficult to perform, in no small part because the play takes a stylistic turn and the reality of the final scene is in such contrast to the stylized portion of the middle (those two facilitators are in their own play). I'm not a big fan of the piece, but agree that her performance of the monologue alone is Tony worthy. What follows I found unsettling, but not in a good way. Two friends, both theater folkof color (one F, one M), loathed the play, and have very strong feelings about that final event and how it's staged. I feel as if the white audience in that decidedly white space has a different experience of it. My friends certainly invited me to consider the impact of the storytelling in the very white world of B'way."

Hm. I'm not white (indian gay boy who grew up knowing he was undesirable in a traditional way - and unlearning that has been a less than fun experience), and I related very deeply with that last scene. I don't think I had even realized before seeing the play how complicated my relationship was, with being fetishized and wanting to be fetishized to "feel seen". I don't completely understand what other message that scene was meant to convey, or how it can/will be perceived by someone else with the weight of slavery attached to the fetish aspect, but it was truly an undertaking of a behemoth size for a playwright to excavate that. 

[VotePeron]

I don’t believe this is the first time this has happened with this actress/scene. I’m wondering if there’s been a conversation like “if you can’t do the monologue at 100%, don’t attempt it all”? Kaniesha doesn’t speak for most of Act 2 so it’s an interesting scenario.

[Falsettolands]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axclVxC0yMI

Cut to 29:30. Kalukango touches on the process and getting there as an actress. This might be an indirect explanation, or at least touch on the stress of this role and weight of the show.

[CarmenA3]

haterobics said: "Huss417 said: "It fell flat PianoMann. :)"

Not at all, I laughed out loud when I read it."

I'm with haterobics - had a nice laugh knowing others out there read all the threads like I do LOL!

[Lot666]

We were at the performance last Friday evening, and it was bizarre. Keneisha spends much of the "group therapy" segment in silence, with the others having significantly more dialog in comparison. When the group scene ended, there was no obvious issue with the actress playing Keneisha, so we were very surprised when a disembodied voice suddenly announced, "The role of Keneisha will now be played by Ebony Flowers".

[henrikegerman]

Has it been settled that Kalukango would be considered featured?
Given the intensity she brings to the final (two hander) third of the play, couldn't a good case be made for lead?

The last "act" of the play could easily be a one act play in itself.  And a very fine one - but one that would be way too jarring and unwatchable - unconscionable -  if not for everything that precedes it.  Kalukango is magnificent in it.  Leaving the theatre I felt that Kaneisha, who also starts the play, is the throughline character, that everything else was built (very well built) to awaken and prepare the audience for Kalukango and Alexander Peter Nolan's tour de force in the last "act."