EAST LANSING, MI; Jun. 2, 2026 -- WKAR Public Media announces a special television broadcast of Sally: A Solo Play by Sandra Seaton. Set in 1826 at Monticello, the play gives voice to Sally Hemings as she reflects on her life with Thomas Jefferson.
Sally: A Solo Play, airs in mid-Michigan on Friday, June 19 at 9:00pm on WKAR TV 23.1 and streaming on wkar.org, the free PBS app.
The WKAR original production airs in celebration of the national Juneteenth holiday and as part of the station’s WKAR America 250 line-up of original programming.
The play by East Lansing’s Sandra Seaton is a powerfully moving, one-woman drama set at Monticello in the days before Thomas Jefferson's death. Sabrina Sloan, Hamilton's Angelica Schuyler, brings to the stage a determined Sally, as well as performing and inhabiting Thomas Jefferson, his daughter Martha, and Sally's brother, James. Amid mounting family tensions, Sally must fight to ensure that Jefferson's long-ago promise to free their own children from slavery at the age of 21 will be kept, before it is too late.
The television special is a WKAR original, produced in cooperation with Wharton Center for Performing Arts. Recording took place during world premiere performances of Wharton Center original production directed by Hannah Ryan in February of 2026.
Sally: A Solo Play is being distributed to PBS stations nationwide by American Public Television.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with Wharton Center to capture the world premiere of Sally: A Solo Play,” said Ashlee Smith, WKAR senior director of content and education. “Public media is all about telling stories that deepen understanding and illuminate perspectives that have too often been overlooked. Sandra Seaton’s powerful work, combined with Sabrina Sloan’s extraordinary performance, creates an unforgettable experience that we are proud to share with audiences across Michigan and the nation as part of our America 250 programming.”
“It was an honor to bring Sally: A Solo Play to life at Wharton Center earlier this year, and now, to be able to share it with the public television audience," said Eric Olmscheid, Wharton Center executive director. “I hope that all who experience it will recognize the power of Sandra’s work and how it so clearly captures this meaningful moment in our history.”
Also airing the same evening, Friday, June 19, at 10:30pm on WKAR TV 23.1:
Juneteenth Jamboree: From A Free Place to Displace. With the Galveston landing of U.S. Army Gen. Gordon Granger in 1865, slavery in Texas ended. African bondsmen became freedmen, and women and children likewise became African Americans. Many left the plantations to join freedom colonies; others sought out opportunities in cities and towns. Today, the consequences of gentrification and rising property values challenge new generations.