HOW THE PRODUCTION CAME TO BE….

PRODUCTION BACKGROUND:

The professional production of Henry Box Brown: A Musical Journey was inspired in 2008, by the young performers of the New York Children’s Theater Company, primarily composed of African American youth. These young artists approached the Company’s Artistic Co-Directors—Mehr Mansuri (writer, co-composer, and producer), Eric Dozier (co-composer, music historian, and gospel music director), and Frank Sanchez (co-composer)—with a compelling question: “Are there any musicals about us? About our African American experience? Is there a ‘Les Misérables’ that centers on American history?”

In response, Mehr began an extensive exploration of slave narratives, seeking a true story to adapt into a musical. Through her research, she discovered that these narratives were verbatim accounts from former slaves, documented and published in compilations by the Library of Congress. Many dismissed these stories as folklore rather than fact. However, upon finding the narrative of Henry “Box” Brown, she learned he was a man of music, poetry, and prayer, who had published and performed his own story—complete with a literal box. To support the musical adaptation, Eric, whose choral ministry fills stadiums worldwide and who was pursuing a doctorate in African American music, began arranging spirituals for the show. Meanwhile, Frank and Mehr focused on crafting over 20 original character-driven, songs. They invited their favorite Broadway performers and church community members, including Jennifer Fouche, Michael and Kim Harley, Adam Shapiro, and the esteemed three-time Tony winner Hinton Battle, to record a tutorial album. This album would serve as a valuable resource for the youth to rehearse and train, as they prepared for their production.

To further enrich the production and ensure additional dramaturgical support for factual accuracy, the creative team welcomed MacArthur Fellow Dr. Joy DeGruy, a renowned author and educator best known for her book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Dr. DeGruy whose work focuses on healing the wounds of racism and the intergenerational trauma experienced by Black people due to slavery and systemic racism, significantly influenced the team.

Dr. DeGruy helped design a program that facilitated post-show audience talk-backs while creating a safe environment for both young and professional actors in the show, as they navigated these historically challenging roles. This innovative approach to the rehearsal process included engaging a mental and spiritual health facilitator, akin to a stunt coordinator, to support the actors and guide professionally led conversations with audience members.

Having escaped religious persecution in her native Iran, Mansuri recognized the theater’s power as a tool for moral reasoning, positioning the audience as a protagonist in the pursuit of social change. Together with Eric Dozier, Dr. DeGruy led an advisory team to guide the approach to Henry’s story for young people, parents, and audiences. This collaboration resulted in a multifaceted, audience-driven initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and social action.

Dr. DeGruy reflects, “As we resurrected the inner life of a people who lived 200 years ago, we realized their struggles resonate with our own familiar and often troubled present.”

Writer, Composer, Mehr Mansuri says, “I believe theater is transformative and creates the empathy and compassion necessary to drive social change and racial justice. Our job in the theater is really to build empathy and to provide this tiny little window into the world of another person, and once we are able to inhabit the space of another, we begin to move toward healing. Our hope is to break through the traditional barriers that exist between audience and artist; where we can see how dialogue and empathy are inextricably linked- and where we can engage with audiences as protagonists.”