Behind the Sheet

See it if you're interested in forgotten history, slavery & medical experimentation with human subjects, fan of EST's science commissions,

Don't see it if you're not a fan of historical plays, upset by depictions of pain, blood & slavery, easily confused by multiple locations in a single scenes

See it if you want to see a thoughtful play that gives voice to those who didn't get to write their own history, and is excitingly theatrical.

Don't see it if you want a happy ending.

See it if you enjoy good drama based on history, presented in an intimate, well-designed space, with a good cast who make you feel the pain endured.

Don't see it if you do not like reliving times in which black people were treated as property and used in inhumane ways.

See it if Very powerful play about Medical experiments on female slaves. Part Fact with some fiction.

Don't see it if You have no interest in that time of history.

Also What happen may not be well known by alot of people. Its is so moving, heart breaking. Tears in my eye and pain in my heart for these beautiful women. Important story that need to told.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy plays based on science. This play explores the early days of gynecology and the exploited slave women who participated.

Don't see it if you are uncomfortable with how African American slaves were exploited.

See it if You are interested in a didactic telling of what I would expect to be a fascinating subject. Program notes made me want to learn more.

Don't see it if You want a fleshed our depiction of this subject.

Also It was well presented on an all purpose stage.
As a doc who refused to do dissection it was interesting take in morality.

If this play had been allowed to be less politically correct it would have sung.... Read more Read less

See it if interested in learning of little known episode in 1840's of forced experimental surgical procedures on female slaves with postpartum pain.

Don't see it if you can't handle scenes of physical & emotional suffering.

Also Story is well told & beautifully acted. At times touching, at times horrific. There were some liberties taken with the character of the doctor, which were explained at the curtain call.... Read more Read less

See it if historical* subject of how black female slaves were used for multiple painful experimental surgeries - the beginning of modern gynecology

Don't see it if don't want subjects of women in pain or blacks being treated as property

Also * some liberties/fictional details added - but they are well done and add to the sense of the slaves being treated as 'property'.
Generally well balanced play. The various slave women have different personalities so there are moments of humor. The doctor, although a narcissistic racist, was not portrayed as a sadistic torturer.... Read more Read less

See it if Historical drama about medical experiments on female slaves . Intense and touching , strong cast .

Don't see it if Do not see if you prefer light dramas or if you are sensitive to viewing individuals in pain and a realistic portrayal of chronic illness.

See it if You want a bit of history sprinkled with fiction about a medical breakthrough and the role that enslaved black women had in it.

Don't see it if You are not able to see a play that depicts a period in time where enslaved black people did not have the right to say NO.

Also This play was very interesting and informative. The performers did a great job in this performance. It was rough thinking about what these women went through while this doctor operated on them without the use of ether and they had to be held down by other slave women while the procedure was taking place. On the flip side, it was great that they enabled the discovery of a medical procedure to help women. I am glad I saw this performance. I learned something.... Read more Read less

See it if you are interested in the issue of racism through the lens of a fascinating historical episode with fine acting, insights & charactizations

Don't see it if you dislike plays that could use editing in order to lessen repetitive scenes that cover the same insights and messages.

See it if Intersectionality of slavery (white supremacy, Black = animals and suffering), women, women's health, and lack of/recognition in history.

Don't see it if Slavery, racist lines, or women in pain are triggering.The Black women feel empowered, but it's still a slave play where they're the victims

Also Ticket from website for $34.50.

See it if You want to learn more about a dark chapter of medical history.

Don't see it if You’re annoyed by any amount of clunkiness in writing (doesn’t 100% avoid stiffness common in historical plays) FYI theatre gets hot.

See it if Serious theater, shinning a spotlight on unknown abuses of slave owners. Another horrific episode of medical abuse of blacks in America.

Don't see it if The facts are brutal and difficult to hear. Whatever PETA protests, this was more painful. Done by dominant people to weaker people.

See it if you like stories about complicated subject matters. That show the prices paid by women for advancements of others.

Don't see it if you don't like serious plays with a dark subject matter.

See it if to see fictionalized account of horrific period of US history. This story should be heard by all. Well acted, written, directed and staged.

Don't see it if you don't want to confront some of the ugliest legacies of slavery. If you can't bear to see painful subject matter.

Also The musical Hamilton asks "who lives, who dies, who tells your story?" Thanks to brave playwrights we get to hear the stories that usually don't get told and are often forgotten. Kudos to all involved in this.... Read more Read less

See it if open to quietly intense drama about shameless exploitation of enslaved women to pursue medical success; bitter humor; powerful performances

Don't see it if wishing to remain ignorant of this brutality enslaved women suffered—but exposure to this silenced history is too important an experience

See it if Painful, excruciating, slow, powerful, rich, beautiful, extraordinary and sad, intensely sad. And worth seeing.

Don't see it if Enslavement, women's history, and the history of medicine are complex subjects worthy of representation.

Also I don't know how these gifted performers can sit in this piece night after night. I was profoundly moved yet sick to my stomach. This is truly the power of art. I'm so glad I saw this play, but I could not see it again for some time.... Read more Read less

See it if For the performances and production values - both exceptional.

Don't see it if You would have a problem with fictionalizing a character into more of a villain that the facts support. Read the program afterwards.

Also The bit about foregoing anesthesia was a bit misleading. According to the program notes, it was not common practice at the time - still in the early stages.... Read more Read less

See it if you would enjoy dramas that reveal the medical mistreatment of black women slaves in the United States

Don't see it if you want to see a light, happy, feel good play.

Also I thought the play, at 1 hour and 40 minutes, should be shortened, as the scenes became repetitive.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a profound exposure of historical medical events not well known that involve enslaved black women in the 1840's.

Don't see it if on a night where you can't bear the pain of how badly slaves were treated

Also This was a powerful play. I happened to see it the night after I saw the movie "If Beale Street Could Talk" which also felt like a gut-punch in the stomach.

This play was informative, emotionally moving, heart-breaking - but tells an important story that should be told and remembered.

I saw this play at the Ensemble Theater in Jan 2019.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see great script, acting, staging, beautiful costume blended in a small theater. A masterful play on a horrific subject

Don't see it if You want something light,dont want to listen story of the slaves told from their perspective,medical experiment on slaves will make you cry

Also This is one of the best show I have seen in a long time. The only reason I did not give 100 is the location, close to 11th ave.

The story was heartbreaking, medical experiments done enslaved black women, surgeries done without anesthesia during 1840, these nameless cases went through gruesome experience, some died during or after the surgeries will make you cry. It was so powerful both by the story and acting, I did not want it to end. Kudos to the entire team for allowing each actor to shine in their own light, without overshadowing the others.... Read more Read less

See it if you're interested in the story of badly treated slaves who served as test subjects for an ultimately heralded doc. Every element here shines

Don't see it if you're irked by plays that wouldn't satisfy if the events weren't true. The relationships capture our interest but not the imagination.

See it if You enjoy well done tales of shared human suffering that are endured to lesson human suffering. Stories of the pain of being worth less.

Don't see it if You mind some slavery fiction cliches and playing loosely with the history. The play not resolving various threads.

Also This is an elite original off-off production that should be seen before it’s run ends. While it took liberties with history in cliched ways it avoided what I will call slavery porn. Instead it ruminates on the soft degradation of being viewed as less valuable than other people. It also ruminates on shared pain of medical illnesses and explores how something as simple as getting better isn’t liberating if you arnt free. This is a well cast well done production through and through with some excellent dialogue. I’ll defend the lack of resolutions as true to history and true to the theme, they don’t have control so it’s not resolved. It’s a different take on the scientific breakthrough genre and a slightly different take on the slavery genre.... Read more Read less

See it if You understand we can’t wish the past away. You accept the collective guilt of slavery and medical experiments on enslaved women.

Don't see it if The screams of women undergoing painful operations without the benefit of anesthesia. You can’t climb one steep flight of stairs. You mind

Also sitting very close to actors in a very small theatre-in-the-square-type setting. The play can’t match the profundity of the subject. The actors do a respectful job but the direction is the problem. There are no beat changes. Lines are so drawled out they lose their importance.
The play seems like one long scene with no changes of energy or importance. Everyone needs to raise the stakes or risk making boring what is an electric story.... Read more Read less