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
Groups
Details
80 mins
Ages 11+
Content warning: references to racial violence and self-harm
Access
American Sign Language Performance
Sun, May 03 2:00 pm
Audio Described Performance
Sun, 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.
Tickets
Friday, Apr 24, 2026
8:00 PM
Artists
A DNAWORKS Production With:
Alvon Reed, Kenneth Norris, Kwesi Johnson, and Daniel Banks
Production Team:
Lia Wallfish (Co-Costume Designer), Christopher Treviño (Associate Lighting Designer), Rose Tablizo (Stage Manager), Mel Ng (Co-Costume Designer), Jam Martinez (Production Manager), Ant Ma (Co-Scenic Designer), Brielle Fowlkes (Assistant Director), Marika Kent (Lighting Designer), Yu-Hsuan Chen (Co-Scenic Designer), Cath Brittan (Producer) Ray Archie (Co-Sound Designer and Sound Engineer)
Co-Creators:
Papi Salgado (Stage Management), Alvon Reed (Co-Choreographer), Giovanni Ortega (Associate Director), Kenneth Norris (Composer), Adam W. McKinney (Co-Choreographer), Antonio David Lyons (Performer), Kwesi Johnson (Co-Choreographer), Diego Alejandro González (Associate Director), Daniel Banks (Director)
The Secret Sharer is proud to partner with The Dance Complex for their generous use of their space for rehearsals. DNAWORKS & ArtsEmerson thanks them for their support of all of the artists involved in presenting this World Premiere.
Artist Note
A Note from the Co-Creators of The Secret Sharer
Over the course of the past six years, as artists adapting Conrad’s work, we have been asked why we would choose to devote time and resources to such a complicated and controversial author. Fair question. Read More
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
March 16, 2026
World Premieres at ArtsEmerson
ArtsEmerson is no stranger to hosting world premieres on our stages. Since our first season in 2010, we have welcomed more than 15 world premieres, spanning from one-person performances to...
Read MoreMarch 6, 2026
A Note from the Co-Creators of The Secret Sharer
ABOUT CONRAD Joseph Conrad was born in 1857 in the Ukraine as Polish nobility, under Russia’s Imperialism, and his father fought for the abolition of serfdom, Russia's system of indentured...
Read More