Nat Turner in Jerusalem Director's Notes

Director's Note

“But seek ye first the kingdom of Heaven and all things shall be added unto you.”
Matthew 6:33

I am honored to return to American Players Theatre with the weighty responsibility of telling a story that history has almost hidden: the story of Nat Turner, a prophet who led a group of enslaved Africans in a courageous fight for their freedom in Virginia in 1831. Through the eloquent and poetic words of playwright Nathan Alan Davis, we have created a living monument that honors the life of Nat Turner and explores what his final hours may have been like. Alongside Turner’s story, we meet Thomas Gray, the lawyer whose three-day interview with Turner will be published as “The Confessions of Nat Turner,” providing much of what we believe to know about this extraordinary man.

By gathering in this theater today, you bear witness to Nat Turner’s legacy. You experience the emotional cycles of incarceration that any human would feel as
they faced their mortality. This production is not just a historical account but a reflection on profound themes of power, fear, freedom, faith, violence and
sacrifice. You may encounter images, questions, or arguments that challenge your comfort zone, but I urge you to engage deeply with the work. It asks us to wrestle with unsettling truths about our shared history and its ongoing impact. The painful reality is that the United States was built on one of the largest crimes against humanity. Even after Turner’s rebellion, it would take nearly three more decades before the institution of slavery was abolished. This story may be set in the 1800s, but the struggles for justice and equality remain present in our world today. The question of what we are willing to sacrifice for a more just society lingers.

As we honor Nat Turner and his movement, we must also reflect on the forms of oppression that still persist. We can’t ignore the upcoming election as key human rights are once again at stake and the war for America’s soul wages on. Theater, at its best, compels us to confront these realities and ask ourselves: What are we willing to do, and what are we willing to give up, to bring about the change our world still desperately needs? What will your life inspire?

-Tyrone Phillips, Director of Nat Turner in Jerusalem