←Recommendations of PARTNER OF —

Carnes has crafted a truly masterful piece here. The hauntingly rhythic dialogue sings off the page as we are allowed a glimpse at one of the many hidden stains on America’s historical tapestry. Pure poetry.

Powerful piece of writing that speaks not only to our history and the mistakes of white privilege but also to today and the very sense of how we view ourselves, what we allow for ourselves, and what we do to ourselves in hopes for a better life for future generations. Three wonderful roles for three terrific actresses of color.

“I had the pleasure of seeing Partner Of at the Take Ten Festival in New York. It was the highlight of the evening. After seeing the play, I felt compelled to read the script. Rachel Carnes’ play is a lyrical, reframing of our country’s horrific institution of slavery. Two generations of enslaved women prepare the young Sally Hemings for her inevitable rape by Jefferson. The opening “burn” monologue is a stunning metaphor for the inevitable encounter and its aftermath. Ms. Carnes evokes layers of emotion and provocative imagery with her poetically -styled dialogue. Brilliantly done.”

A beautiful, unforgettable play that I saw staged at the Ivoryton Playhouse. Set in an archeological dig, the bones of the past come to life as 14-year old Sally Hemings is being prepared by her mother and grandmother to go to Paris with Thomas Jefferson.

A powerhouse of a ten minute play. This play may take place in the 1700s, but what makes it all the more tragic is that it’s more than relevant today. The monologue and imagery of a burn will stick with me for a long time. Highly recommend this play.

This play tells a story of horrors that affect the lives of its characters in the home of one of America's "great" men, and the multi-generational aspect of those horrors reflects the way both suffering and survival strategies have become part of the American legacy. There is a timelessness to this piece and a devastating, poetic rendering of pain inflicted and pain suffered.

This short but powerful play left me speechless. Ever since I read it, it's been quietly burning a hole in my heart. I would love to see this staged. The fact that it's set in 1787 does not diminish its relevance and urgency. Read it, stage it!

The disturbing reality of multigenerational slave rape is highlighted in this power packed ten minute play. Thought provoking and emotional, it is a wonderful piece to bring this entrenched tradition to the attention of modern audiences.

And isn't this a fantastic rejoinder to those who want to sanitize and romanticize Thomas Jefferson's "relationship" with his 14-year-old, enslaved relation? Two generations of women who've learned to survive teach the third generation how to the same, all in the narrow confines of a windowless room -- a cell, really -- where Sally can be kept out of sight and readily available to Jefferson.

Brilliant play worthy of all of its many recommendations, with beautifully precise language, characters, history, truth... I love the visceral qualities of the opening monologue and the description of the architectural design of Monticello as a place for secrets as a place that separates what is seen from what is - and Carnes exposes all that!