Updated February 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
The history of the relationship between President Thomas Jefferson and the enslaved Sally Hemings is both well-known and poorly documented. She is thought to have had at least six children fathered by Jefferson.
This month, Michigan State University's Wharton Center is presenting an original production world premiere of a one-woman play inspired by Hemings.
Sandra Seaton credits Pulitzer prize-winning composer William Bolcom with planting the seed for a play about Sally Hemings more than two decades ago. He’d asked her to write the libretto for his song cycle for voice and piano, “From the Diary of Sally Hemings.”
At the premiere in 2001, she met dozens of Hemings’ descendants and was encouraged to write a play about her. That led Seaton to extensive research and numerous trips to Jefferson’s home, Monticello.
Putting herself in Hemings’ shoes made her think she wouldn’t have liked Jefferson, but she couldn’t let those feelings get in the way of her writing.
“I’m there, in that world, imagining what it was like for them, and then, it takes on a life of its own," she said.
The story takes place during Jefferson’s final days, with Hemings trying to convince Jefferson to keep a promise to free their children from slavery at the age of 21.
Seaton has high praise for Sabrina Sloan, who portrays Hemings and others, including Jefferson, Sally’s mother Elizabeth, her brother James and Jefferson’s daughter Martha.
“She is so believable," Seaton said. "The ways she’s able to switch and take on these different roles and different voices, and deeper voices, and then going back to Sally’s voice, is truly amazing.”
Sloan is best known for playing Angelica Schuyler in “Hamilton,” including with creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda in his native Puerto Rico.
Speaking from her home in Atlanta, she says the role of Sally Hemings forced her to make some creative choices.
“There’s no real record of her, which is not surprising,” Sloan said. “There’s no pictures of Sally. I know people would like for there to be, but also, it provides a really nice blank slate for me to be able to step in and give my take on what she looks like and all of that, all who she was.”
There have been a couple of preliminary productions of “Sally: A Solo Play,” but this will be its first full-scale staging. It’s being directed by Hannah Ryan, a former resident director of “Hamilton” on Broadway.
Sloan said it’s a big challenge being alone on stage, with no one else to interact with or carry some of the load.
“There’s the stamina of doing a piece all by yourself of jumping in and out of characters and providing that momentum and not having any counterpart to come in and let you take a breath. You’ve got to just drive the train for the entirety of the show," Sloan said.
For both women, this is an interesting time to tell the story of Sally Hemings. America is in its 250th year of independence, and the show is running during Black History Month.
Sloan hopes people might see value in imagining how Hemings conducted herself within a powerless situation.
“I don’t know that Sally Hemings was thinking about 2026, but she certainly was thinking about her lineage and the future for her children and what that might look like, and I think that I’m in that same mindset right now, of what does the future look like, the near future look like, for my kids," Sloan said.
“Sally: A Solo Play” is on stage February 19-21 at the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.
The Wharton Center is a financial supporter of WKAR.
UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS
The MSU College of Music presents Jazz Nonets with guest pianist Jeff Haas Friday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Music Building’s Murray Hall.
A Ten Pound Fiddle folk music concert Saturday has a triple bill of Katie Dahl, RJ Cowdery and Hope Dunbar. That’s at the University Lutheran Church in East Lansing, starting at 7:30 p.m..
The Lansing Symphony Orchestra presents “From Broadway With Love,” on Valentine’s Day at the Wharton Center on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
