Harlem Duet – Intimacy, Nudity, Violence Breakdown

Two hands reaching towards each other with fingertips touching.

The Breakdown

This page describes the moments of intimacy, nudity, and violence in the script of Harlem Duet. It also includes moments of heightened emotion or potentially triggering/activating moments. Actors, please read this page before auditioning –there will be time for questions/comments/concerns during auditions and callbacks. All intimacy/nudity/violence will be choreographed within actors’ boundaries.

Please note: those auditioning will need to complete the Intimacy, Violence, Nudity Disclosure Form for Harlem Duet

Have questions? Contact the intimacy choreographer, Ynika Yuag at ynikayuag@gmail.com.

Act One

Scene 2:

  • On page 36, OTHELLO touches and kisses BILLIE’s arms and hands, then they kiss each other.

Scene 3:

  • Starting on page 41, AMAH does BILLIE’s hair in twists.

Scene 4:

  • From pages 58-59, OTHELLO touches and kisses BILLIE and her arms and hands, then they kiss each other.

Scene 5:

  • The scene begins with OTHELLO in bed in a state of undress after BILLIE (who sits elsewhere onstage, also in a state of undress) and OTHELLO have finished having intercourse (not staged – happens in the “moment before” the scene starts).
  • After MONA calls for him, OTHELLO hurriedly puts on clothes, then exits.

Scene 8:

  • BILLIE/SHE/HER holds a straight edge razor and stands over OTHELLO/HE/HIM’s dead body for the duration of this scene and monologue.

Act Two:

The statue Pietà
The statue “Pietà”

Scene 3:

  • BILLIE/SHE/HER holds the dead body of OTHELLO/HE/HIM in a pose emulating the statue “Pietà”.
  • OTHELLO/HE/HIM is described as having a rope around his neck, suggesting that he died by lynching.

Scene 5:

  • During this scene, MAGI and CANADA eat and discuss food.

Scene 6

  • BILLIE/SHE/HER murders OTHELLO/HE/HIM by slitting his throat with a straight edge razor. He bleeds to death onstage

Scene 7:

  • Toward the end of this scene, BILLIE and OTHELLO kiss each other.
  • At the end of this scene, it’s revealed that BILLIE has been hallucinating OTHELLO’s presence in this scene and MAGI leads her offstage, suggesting that BILLIE is displaying symptoms of severe mental illness.

Scene 9:

  • For the duration of this scene/monologue, OTHELLO/HE/HIM paints his own face with makeup to emulate Blackface minstrel makeup.

Scene 10:

  • AMAH visits BILLIE who is in a psychiatric ward. They discuss BILLIE receiving treatment from psychiatrists, nurses, and how BILLIE has been prescribed medicine that she doesn’t want to continue taking.
  • The scene ends with AMAH telling CANADA that BILLIE’s mental state is “so-so.”