Apr 24—May 03, 2026
The Secret Sharer
DNAWORKS / from USA
In this World Premiere performance, Joseph Conrad’s acclaimed novella is adapted to tell a powerful tale of two men, outsiders in their societies, who forge a shared, intimate, and healing connection against all odds.
DNAWORKS’s bold, world premiere adaptation of Joseph Conrad’s 1909 novella The Secret Sharer transforms the text into a powerful multimedia performance blending dance, music, sound, text, and art installation. Often considered an early Queer text, The Secret Sharer tells the story of two men—a ship’s Captain and a stowaway accused of murder—and the bond the two develop as the stowaway is secretly sheltered in the Captain’s quarters.
In keeping with DNAWORKS’s signature storycircle practice, audience members create the ship’s perimeter and are invited to share their own stories throughout the performance, inviting a collaborative space where audiences co-create the environment.
In the face of violence and discrimination, the characters at the center of this story reveal the healing which often arises in the presence of vulnerability, intimacy, and resilience.
Info
Venue
Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre,
Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111
Dates
Apr 24, 2026 - May 03, 2026
Tickets
PACKAGES
Groups
Details
80 mins
Ages 11+
Content warning: references to racial violence and self-harm
Access
Audio Described Performance
Sat, May 03 2:00 pm
NOTE: OUR PRICES HAVE NOT INCREASED! ALL-IN PRICING is now in effect. In compliance with the H.R.1402 bill , we now list the total price of tickets, with no additional mandatory fees added at checkout.
Performances
Artists
A DNAWORKS Production With:
Daniel Banks, Kwesi Johnson, Ken Norris, Alvon Reed, Papi Salgado
DESIGNERS:
Yu-Hsuan Chen (Set), Marika Kent (Lighting), Raquel Adorno (Costumes)
Maurice Emmanuel Parent Co-Producing Artistic Director of Front Porch Arts Collective:
The Porch was built through collaborations, partnership and community, dedicated to uplifting stories of Black culture both in this country and around the world. We are thrilled to be in community with all the company producing the Ufot Family Cycle, and overjoyed to be embarking on or first co-production with ArtsEmerson, a company we’ve admired for so long, with In Old Age. In Old Age tells the story of Abasiama, later in life, beautiful story of a Nigerian woman later in life who must cleanse her past if she is to embark on a newfound romance.
Gallery
Photo Credit: Troy Lambert
“Their projects have an immersive sensibility that invites performer and audience to co-create the theatrical experience.”
— American Theatre on DNAWORKS