Dominique Morisseau’s Confederates goes beyond dissecting the archetype of the Black woman as the mammy figure but drags its ghost into the light, forcing a reckoning with the audience to play judge and jury. Director Goldie Patrick, Detroit Public Theatre production balances razor-sharp dialogue with haunting historical parallels. At its core, the play is a psychological chess match, unraveling the complexities of power, ambition, and the ways oppression distorts relationships.
Actress Whitney Johnson commands the stage as Sandra, a professor who has meticulously built her career, sidestepping landmines that could jeopardize her tenure. She’s relentless, a Black woman in academia who refuses to be anything less than excellent. But a cruel prank rattles her confidence, sending her into a spiral of overanalyzing every professional relationship, especially her interactions with student Malik, a young and emboldened black male who doesn’t just challenge her authority—he manipulates it.
Malik, played with deceptive charm by Will Street, sees opportunity where Sandra sees responsibility. Her tough-love approach is meant to sharpen him, but in his eyes, it’s another obstacle placed in his path. Their confrontations shift where outright manipulation is used by Malik using guilt as he maneuvers for a higher grade. These two characters become part of a psychological battle although appearing to be the same “skinfolk,” exposes how power struggles come down to who understands the system well enough to exploit it.
Parallel to this modern-day academic warfare is Sarah, an enslaved woman played with captivating intensity by Rebecca Rose Mims. Sarah is a strategist in her own right, wielding resilience as her greatest tool. She doesn’t just dream of freedom—she orchestrates it. Her relationship with Missy Sue, a white woman blinded by affection, becomes her means of survival. Unlike Sandra, who adheres to institutional rules even as they work against her, Sarah bends societal expectations to suit her ambitions. When necessity collides with morality, she doesn’t hesitate.
Abner, Sarah’s brother, serves as both her protector and teacher. He seeks solace in the familiar, hesitant to embrace Sarah’s radical defiance. This mirrors Sandra’s dynamic with Malik—both women pushing their counterparts to think beyond immediate circumstances. Where Sarah’s rebellion fuels her liberation, Sandra’s authority is turned against her.
The play doesn’t settle for easy allegiances. Sandra and Sarah are connected by a Black womanhood, yet their choices are dictated by vastly different realities. Malik and Abner seem to stand in opposition to them, but neither man is entirely villainous or virtuous. Loyalties shift, motives blur, and what should be clear-cut alliances dissolve under the weight of individual interests. The audience is left questioning: is survival inherently selfish, or is it just a matter of strategy?
Visually, the production amplifies these themes with immersive set design and lighting that moves fluidly between eras. The academic setting is cold, clinical—an institution more concerned with protocol than people. Meanwhile, Sarah’s world is drenched in the reality of her slave quarters and the brief “promotion” of going to the big house in the plantation. Lighting and music shift between the warmth of candlelight and intense imagery rooted in rebellion, with sound design using modern music to center historical echoes, repackaging present-day tensions to remind the audience that time doesn’t dissolve injustice.
The ending of Confederates shifts power through calculated defiance. Freedom isn’t granted, it’s taken through strategy, deception, and an unshakable will to break the cycle. The enslaved outthink their oppressors, proving that control is never absolute. Every decision carries weight, every alliance serves a purpose, and survival depends on precision. Morisseau crafts an ending that doesn’t offer easy resolution but instead lingers, forcing the audience to sit with the cost of liberation and the sharp intelligence required to achieve it.
Dominique Morisseau’s play kicks off 2025 DPT’s 10th Anniversary Season.
Confederates runs from February 6-7, through Sunday, March 16.
TICKET INFORMATION Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at www.detroitpublictheatre.org or by calling 313-974-7918.
ABOUT DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE
Detroit Public Theatre produces nationally recognized plays and programs with world-class writers, directors, actors and designers in the heart of Detroit’s cultural district. We create bold, relevant work that illuminates the thrills, joys and challenges of our shared humanity. For more information about Detroit Public Theatre and its productions and programs, or to purchase tickets visit www.detroitpublictheatre.org or call (313) 974-7918
Keywords:** Dominique Morisseau, Confederates play, oppression, power dynamics, historical drama
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