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Harlem Duet
Winner of the Governor General's Award for Drama. Winner of the Chalmers Play Award. A rhapsodic blues tragedy. Harlem Duet could be the prelude to Shakepeare's Othello, and recounts the tale of Othello and his first wife Billie (yes, before Desdemona). Set in contemporary Harlem at the corner of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X boulevards, the play explores the space where race and sex intersect. Harlem Duet is Billie's story.
117 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
October 26, 2020
Harlem Duet is supposed to be a AU prequel play to Shakespeare's Othello. In that sense, I found the plot lacking. I think to properly enjoy the play, one must completely disregard the connection to the original Othello. On it's own, this play is about three separate time periods where a black man decides to leave his black long term partner for a white woman. We follow Billie, the woman that Othello leaves, as she sulks around and blames society for Othello's decision. On it's own, this story provides an analysis of racism and the long term effect of keeping things bottled up inside. In terms of a AU prequel to Othello, it lacks substance. However, I'm willing to admit that my perception of this play may be too surface level. That being said, it's still my opinion and I'm giving it 2.5 stars for enjoyment.
January 17, 2019
Whatever one thinks of William Shakespeare -- love him, hate him, fear him, snort at him -- his body of work casts a Gulliver sized shadow over we Lilliputian authors of English who have followed him. That shadow is inescapable. It's an eclipse. And how many of us feel compelled to challenge that shadow? To engage with it? Too many.
In Harlem Duet the amazing Djanet Sears tilts at the shadow of Othello, and as often happens when we duel with Shakespeare, she fights valiantly but walks away bloodied.
Harlem Duet is a part retelling, a part criticism, a part parallel, a part reimagining, a part reclamation of things beyond Shakespeare, and a part homage to the milieu if calls to in its title, but one wonders if the allusions to Shakespeare were ever necessary. I read this play; I wanted to love this play; I thought this play would have stood on its own without the explicit connections to Othello, and I thought and still think Harlem Duet would have been better for putting Shakespeare aside and doing its own thing.
In Harlem Duet the amazing Djanet Sears tilts at the shadow of Othello, and as often happens when we duel with Shakespeare, she fights valiantly but walks away bloodied.
Harlem Duet is a part retelling, a part criticism, a part parallel, a part reimagining, a part reclamation of things beyond Shakespeare, and a part homage to the milieu if calls to in its title, but one wonders if the allusions to Shakespeare were ever necessary. I read this play; I wanted to love this play; I thought this play would have stood on its own without the explicit connections to Othello, and I thought and still think Harlem Duet would have been better for putting Shakespeare aside and doing its own thing.
August 1, 2023
This play is an adaptation of Othello, and what I find most interesting about it is the postmodern playing with temporalities. The main action of the play--which is meant to be a prequel to Shakespeare's Othello--occurs today (in the late 1990s when the play debuted), but there are also flashback scenes to 1928 and 1860, where the same characters seem to be in the same relationship. The play tells the story of Othello's first wife, Billie or Sybil, whom he leaves for Mona (obviously Desdemona). Although Shakespeare's play was set in Renaissance Venice and Cyprus, this 'prequel' is set in 1990s Harlem, NY.
The other thing I find interesting about this adaptation is that Billie uses a magical potion to curse Othello by poisoning the handkerchief, though it isn't exactly clear how effective this potion is, unless we consider that everyone who touches the cloth in Shakespeare's Othello does come to misfortune--Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Cassio, even Emilia arguably. The reason this is interesting is that in Shakespeare's play Desdemona's father accuses Othello of using magic to seduce his daughter, but this play posits a magical reason for the deaths of the various characters in Shakespeare's play, giving the scorned black woman a power to stretch her hands backward across time and control the destinies of her enemies.
The other thing I find interesting about this adaptation is that Billie uses a magical potion to curse Othello by poisoning the handkerchief, though it isn't exactly clear how effective this potion is, unless we consider that everyone who touches the cloth in Shakespeare's Othello does come to misfortune--Othello, Desdemona, Iago, Cassio, even Emilia arguably. The reason this is interesting is that in Shakespeare's play Desdemona's father accuses Othello of using magic to seduce his daughter, but this play posits a magical reason for the deaths of the various characters in Shakespeare's play, giving the scorned black woman a power to stretch her hands backward across time and control the destinies of her enemies.
October 17, 2019
2/5stars
meh. took the story of "othello" and legit changed it so much and bent it all over backwards to the point that i was unrecognizable. horribly confusing. not very interesting.
meh. took the story of "othello" and legit changed it so much and bent it all over backwards to the point that i was unrecognizable. horribly confusing. not very interesting.
June 3, 2024
men are always a piece of shit🤷🏻♀️
October 4, 2018
I will be pairing this play with Othello for my Grade Ten students this year, as it deals with issues of race and gender and has several big ideas connected to Shakespeare's play. What I love? That it is written by a talented Canadian woman; that it is filled with tension of all kinds; and that it refers back to Othello in so many ways (including the use of the strawberry handkerchief in a whole new way!) While some of the sexuality and sexual references do require a mature audience, my students need see that aspect to really understand the original literary relationship between Othello and Desdemona. An engaging read!
December 30, 2020
I definitely suggest reading Othello first (or some kind of summary) before you start this one!
July 26, 2020
Djanet Sears is literally one of the best writers of all time of any genre. I don't know why she isn't taught in schools. It would be a perfect pairing with Shakespearean units.
July 23, 2019
A short play that looks at race, sex and the dissolution of a relationship.
I enjoyed the element of "history repeating itself" as the playwright chose to show the same relationship during three different time periods. I was longing for more, though.
The reader is provided with glimpses of the three time periods, where the present time receives greater attention than the other two past time periods. I hoped for a greater fleshing out of the characters in those lesser mentioned time periods.
Other than that, the characters and dialogue were strong and the plot was easy to follow.
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading plays.
ElliotScribbles
I enjoyed the element of "history repeating itself" as the playwright chose to show the same relationship during three different time periods. I was longing for more, though.
The reader is provided with glimpses of the three time periods, where the present time receives greater attention than the other two past time periods. I hoped for a greater fleshing out of the characters in those lesser mentioned time periods.
Other than that, the characters and dialogue were strong and the plot was easy to follow.
Overall, I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading plays.
ElliotScribbles
September 29, 2016
Such an intriguing approach to writing a prelude for Othello! Loved the dynamic and tragedy, the switch in roles and the idea of linking Othello to MLK and Billie to Malcomn X.. A really interesting play to read and link to the societal values and norms as presented in Othello.
March 14, 2014
Absolute Perfection. Exceptional. Wow. Why did it have to end? Why is it that there are billions of books and playwrights in this world---while only a handful are exceptional?
January 14, 2018
So beautifully written and heartwrenching, obviously.
here you go for my entire review (both in English and French): https://auxmotsinsatiables.wordpress....
here you go for my entire review (both in English and French): https://auxmotsinsatiables.wordpress....
October 12, 2022
Back in July, I watched a performance of Djanet Sears’, “Harlem Duet” at Bard on the Beach. While I enjoyed the performance, I was left with some questions about where staging took over from the original play. So, I got myself a copy.
Generally, the performance was true to the original play. While I felt Sears’ overall storyline relating the life of a modern day Othello through the perspective of his first wife Billie was effective, I did find some aspects of the play less successful. As a meditation on what it means to be Black and how one navigates different spaces: the White world and the Black world of Harlem, Sears effectively delivers multiple perspectives from the point of view of gender and generation. Watching Billie descend into madness as a result of her inability to reconcile the loss of Othello to a White woman, his transgression of his broom-hopping wedding vows, and to the inner struggle with what it means to be Black in America is built up through the play, ending in a potent crescendo. My criticisms lay in the overall play feeling like Sears was trying to cover too much ground in too little time. The alternate timescapes of the South in the 1860s, and 1928 Harlem, while dreamlike, feel almost too insubstantial, like they could have been further developed, given more time. The second criticism I had was more about the delivery of a scene near the end of the second act. I had wanted to see what the original staging directions had set out, but found no contradiction to the staging. Ultimately, the minstrel scene started out jarringly, but let the audience off too easy. Had Othello truly engaged with the audience in the ‘minstrel show,’ I think the audience would have been far more affected in the moment, and called to address their own prejudices and history in the case of White audiences. In spite of my minor criticisms, I would highly recommend seeing or reading this play.
Generally, the performance was true to the original play. While I felt Sears’ overall storyline relating the life of a modern day Othello through the perspective of his first wife Billie was effective, I did find some aspects of the play less successful. As a meditation on what it means to be Black and how one navigates different spaces: the White world and the Black world of Harlem, Sears effectively delivers multiple perspectives from the point of view of gender and generation. Watching Billie descend into madness as a result of her inability to reconcile the loss of Othello to a White woman, his transgression of his broom-hopping wedding vows, and to the inner struggle with what it means to be Black in America is built up through the play, ending in a potent crescendo. My criticisms lay in the overall play feeling like Sears was trying to cover too much ground in too little time. The alternate timescapes of the South in the 1860s, and 1928 Harlem, while dreamlike, feel almost too insubstantial, like they could have been further developed, given more time. The second criticism I had was more about the delivery of a scene near the end of the second act. I had wanted to see what the original staging directions had set out, but found no contradiction to the staging. Ultimately, the minstrel scene started out jarringly, but let the audience off too easy. Had Othello truly engaged with the audience in the ‘minstrel show,’ I think the audience would have been far more affected in the moment, and called to address their own prejudices and history in the case of White audiences. In spite of my minor criticisms, I would highly recommend seeing or reading this play.
May 4, 2025
Esta obra de teatro es un retelling de Othello, que cuenta la historia de la mujer con la que estuvo Othello antes de que se casase con Desdémona.
Para mí, es una perspectiva interesante porque muestra un punto de vista muy interesante en cuanto a la perspectiva del género dentro de la raza negra, así como una perspectiva del racismo que nunca había pensado.
Esta obra de teatro cuenta tres historias entre Othello y Billy, en distintos contextos culturales y sociales. Creo que ese es otro de los elementos que más me ha gustado de esta obra. Sin embargo, los nombres de los personajes en los distintos contextos son diferentes y las tramas se entremezclan, aunque todo está más centrado en un contexto contemporáneo.
Se me ha dificultado un poco entenderla por la disposición de las tramas, pero a pesar de contar la misma historia, todas se diferencian entre sí debido a que el contexto es esencial para el desarrollo de la misma.
Tampoco estoy acostumbrada a leer teatro, no es uno de mis géneros favoritos, y quizás por eso es que no he disfrutado tanto de su lectura
Creo que es una buena obra para leer y para poder obtener un punto de vista del mundo que no podemos percibir tan fácilmente. Sin duda, la recomiendo
Para mí, es una perspectiva interesante porque muestra un punto de vista muy interesante en cuanto a la perspectiva del género dentro de la raza negra, así como una perspectiva del racismo que nunca había pensado.
Esta obra de teatro cuenta tres historias entre Othello y Billy, en distintos contextos culturales y sociales. Creo que ese es otro de los elementos que más me ha gustado de esta obra. Sin embargo, los nombres de los personajes en los distintos contextos son diferentes y las tramas se entremezclan, aunque todo está más centrado en un contexto contemporáneo.
Se me ha dificultado un poco entenderla por la disposición de las tramas, pero a pesar de contar la misma historia, todas se diferencian entre sí debido a que el contexto es esencial para el desarrollo de la misma.
Tampoco estoy acostumbrada a leer teatro, no es uno de mis géneros favoritos, y quizás por eso es que no he disfrutado tanto de su lectura
Creo que es una buena obra para leer y para poder obtener un punto de vista del mundo que no podemos percibir tan fácilmente. Sin duda, la recomiendo
March 21, 2018
This was an interesting play. It's much better than a lot of things I've had to read for school. I thought that there were interesting discussions about race and gender, and there were so many things to talk about. However, I didn't like any of the characters and I couldn't connect with any of them. I also felt like the end of the play was a bit rushed, but that may have been because I was pressed for time when I finished it. This is also related to Othello is some way, but I've never read Othello, so I missed a lot of the references. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I knew had read Othello first. If I had the opportunity to see this play, I definitely would.
March 29, 2021
One of the main reasons I’m giving this book three stars is because I simply don’t like theatre books, and Harlem Duet is no exception. I had to read this for the English class I’m taking this semester, so otherwise I never would have read it. But it still is a great story. It was so interesting seeing Billie descend into madness, though I was more than a bit confused through some of the book, adding to why I’m giving it three stars. For those who do like Shakespeare, highly recommend! I should note that I’ve never read Othello, so that definitely added to my confusion. I can’t say for sure if this story fits in with it, but still an interesting read and a bit of an eye opener too.
April 27, 2018
Like most plays, the text is better seen performed than read on a page. It would have been much better to see this show, especially with the juxtaposing time periods. Regardless, I thought this was a well-done picture of a broken marriage and a complex look at the complicated nature of race in America. As for its connection to Shakespeare, it drastically changes the way I understand Othello—whether that’s good or bad, I’ve yet to decide. However, it’s impressive that Sears’s play had enough power to affect the way I read a 400 year old play.
December 1, 2022
I didn't have much of an idea as to what to expect going into this, but holy moly. Harlem Duet is a response to Othello but can stand entirely on its own two feet as well. The poetry in the language combined with the realism of their back-and-forth dialogue. Scenes set in the 1800s and the 1920s enriched the play aesthetically, painting a fuller picture of this story as a tragedy which has been lived again and again. I love the toying with realism, but ultimately leaping into something more marvelous, supernatural in a soul-inspiring way. Truly great writing.
July 23, 2020
This was so heartbreaking. But it’s important to pay witness. Expertly crafted and the dialogue! Incredible. I hope I can see it in it’s fully fleshed our dorm, in theatre, someday. Really touches so deeply on such a vulnerable and painful reality—it reached for race and love and desire and the mess they all make together—the deeper flesh of painful racialized lived experience, the Black lived experience.
October 17, 2023
little side note: it’s hard to write a review for something you read for a class that you also did an assignment on.
i personally don’t really like plays but i had to read this for class and i think it’s really interesting to look at adaptations in comparison to the source work. takes the classic stories & talks about race, gender, and all of the stuff that shakespeare brushes over.
if you like shakespeare, or even just reading adaptations, this is good
i personally don’t really like plays but i had to read this for class and i think it’s really interesting to look at adaptations in comparison to the source work. takes the classic stories & talks about race, gender, and all of the stuff that shakespeare brushes over.
if you like shakespeare, or even just reading adaptations, this is good
August 11, 2018
Extremely powerful play, and wonderfully written. It was an eye opener on different perspectives surrounding interracial relationships.
I also loved how it is written as a prequel to Othello, and switches timelines to different eras of American history to demonstrate shifts in racial tensions between Blacks and whites.
I also loved how it is written as a prequel to Othello, and switches timelines to different eras of American history to demonstrate shifts in racial tensions between Blacks and whites.
November 16, 2019
I read Harlem Duet as an undergraduate student almost 20 years ago. I re-read it this year, and I was delighted (and saddened) to see how fresh and relevant it still is. Sears, an African-Canadian playwright, takes on the racism and sexism that underly Othello and the production and reception histories of Shakespeare's play.
June 13, 2021
Djanet Sears prequel to Othello is amazing! I’ve taught it twice now, and i learn new things each time I read it. Billie, Amah, and Maggie are deep, fascinating characters, and Othello has the opportunity to explain himself. Spoiler alert: we don’t like him. The black female experience a powerful answer to Shakespeare’s work that helps to rearrange perspectives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2021
This is an incredibly textured and layered play, and I feel that a review here could not do it justice. If this is not currently being taught in all post-secondary English lit or drama classes, what are these professors doing.
There is literally nothing I can say other than: Read this -- and even better, watch it performed!
There is literally nothing I can say other than: Read this -- and even better, watch it performed!
December 25, 2018
Although it started off a little slowly for me, the writing is absolutely beautiful. I’m not sure I get all the audio clips at the beginning of every scene but the story really ramps up before act two and we see real repercussions amongst the characters.
April 12, 2020
I enjoyed reading this however it made me want to know more about Billie's and Othello's relationship before Mona came into Othello's life. This review is brief because I have to write a discussion post about it.
June 23, 2021
This was an emotionally and racially charged read. It’s a very intriguing look at how racism and racial identity affects a Black couple. That it’s written as a prequel to Othello helped pull me in, but it’s Djanet Sear’s skill that kept me reading.
February 26, 2023
Read for my Global Shakespeares class. This adaptation of Othello was really good. I loved the questions it brought up about masculinity, race, and the original Shakespearean text. It was poignant, witty, and emotional! 4 stars.
September 12, 2025
The history around this play and its accolades adds to the interest surrounding this play. Not my favorite play of the ones I have studied in University but I can respect its importance in Canadian Play writing.
July 7, 2017
Growing up Black in reaction to Whites. Interesting premise for a touching play.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews