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+
Access
View full accessibility details
Audio Described Performance
Thu, Apr 30 7:30 pm
American Sign Language Performance
Thu, Apr 30 7:30 pm
Audio Described Performance
Sun, May 03 2:00 pm
American Sign Language 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
Saturday, Apr 25, 2026
8:00 PM
Sunday, Apr 26, 2026
2:00 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
Accessibility Note
DNAWORKS and ArtsEmerson have partnered with local members of the disability community and Think Outside the Vox to provide original selected accessibility services during the run of The Secret Sharer. We are pleased to offer two opportunities for our audiences to see the show with both Audio Description and American Sign Language interpretation available.
Audio Described Performance
- THU, APR 30 7:30 pm
- SUN, MAY 3 2:00 pm
American Sign Language Performance
- THU, APR 30 7:30 pm
- SUN, MAY 3 2:00 pm
In addition to our two traditional access performances detailed above, this production has been specifically designed by DNAWORKS to also include the following inclusive and accessibility measures for all performances:
ASL Interpretation of the performance and integral community conversations during the performances on April 30 and May 3 matinee.
- Mobility Device Accessible Seating
- All chairs in the first row are moveable and able to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices, so all patrons are able to choose the seat that they prefer.
- Sensory Friendly / Low Impact
- This means: The theatre will never go 100% dark, the lighting and sound for the show have been designed to avoid major sensory intensity (including not using strobe lights), and there will be an opportunity for patrons to opt-in to a ‘preview’ of lights & sound from the show via a brief walkthrough before the house opens.
- ‘Artistic’ Audio Description
- DNAWORKS has endeavored to create a “unique and complete aesthetic experience” that considers input from our Blind and low vision audience members. Integrated artistic narration will happen throughout the performance as part of the performance to provide all patrons in attendance with a sense of the intention and poetry of the portions of dance which may at times not be represented by moment-by-moment description of the physical movements as is typical of our general audio description services. In addition, the performances on April 30 and May 3 matinee will be live described with an Audio Describer and Blind Quality Control Expert Describer.
- Blind/Low Vision Touch Tour
- Patrons will be able to opt-in to a brief touch tour/walkthrough of the set. This will be made available for each performance 45 minutes before show time.
Gallery
Photo Credit: Diego Alejandro González
Photo Credit: Diego Alejandro González
Photo Credit: Diego Alejandro González
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
April 16, 2026
Meet DNAWORKS, the Team Behind The Secret Sharer
In a few weeks, ArtsEmerson will welcome the world premiere of The Secret Sharer, a new multimedia production based on Joseph Conrad's 1909 novella of the same name. This production is...
Read MoreApril 16, 2026
The Secret Sharer: A Quick Guide Before You Go
If you’re heading to The Secret Sharer at the Emerson Paramount Center this month and are wondering what to expect, here's a quick guide to help you walk in feeling...
Read MoreMarch 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