NAT TURNER IN JERUSALEM
SEP 18 - OCT 4, 2026
WRITTEN by Nathan Alan Davis
PRODUCED by Joshua Patterson, Matthew Simpson
DIRECTED by by Epic Jones
Eight Fifteen Capital and the West Side Show Room present Nat Turner in Jerusalem.
In August 1831, Nat Turner led a slave uprising that shook the conscience of the nation.
Nathan Alan Davis’s timely new play imagines Turner’s final night in a jail cell in Jerusalem, Virginia, as he is visited by attorney Thomas R. Gray and they reckon with what has passed, and what the dawn will bring.
Woven with vivid imagery and indelible lyricism, Nat Turner in Jerusalem examines the power of an individual’s resolute convictions and their seismic reverberations through time.
Nat Turner in Jerusalem is the third play of Rockford native Nathan Alan Davis to be presented in partnership between Eight Fifteen Capital and West Side Show Room.
Returning to WSSR in the role of Nat Turner is Jaylen Marks (The Wind and the Breeze, and director of Barbecue), and Eduardo Galaviz (Clown Bar, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, Red Noses) in the dual role of Thomas R. Gray and the jail Guard.
TICKETS
Free Public Access Tickets are available for reservation starting 1 week prior to show time.
Early Access Tickets are available ahead of time with a WSSR Membership.
““ONE OF THE BEST PLAYS OF THE YEAR! Truly original, truly hysterical and truly touching! You will be enthralled””
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
NATHAN ALAN DAVIS
Nathan Alan Davis is a playwright and screenwriter based in New York and Boston. His writing for the stage includes The Refuge Plays (Roundabout Theatre/NYTW), Nat Turner in Jerusalem (NYTW), The High Ground (Arena Stage), Eternal Life Part 1 (Wilma Theater), Origin Story (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), The Wind and the Breeze (Cygnet Theatre), and Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea (NNPN Rolling World Premiere). For his body of work, Nathan has received a Windham-Campbell Prize (2021), a Steinberg Playwright Award (2020), and a Whiting Award in Drama (2018). His TV/film work includes projects for Netflix, AMC, BET, and Paramount. He is the Director of the MFA Playwriting Program at Boston University.
PUBLIC ACCESS THEATER
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If you Become a Member or Add A Donation to your free tickets, you will support Public Access Theater and help us make sure everyone in our community can come to the show!
BECOME A MEMBER
When you become a WSSR Member, you are partnering with us to support Public Access Theater and make sure everyone can come to the show!
With a WSSR Membership, you can reserve more than 2 tickets at a time!
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COVID SAFETY
MASKS ARE ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED
If you aren’t feeling well or are experiencing symptoms, please stay home.
Any questions? contact@wssr.org
RUNNING TIME
90 Minutes
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Profanity
Map + Directions
CONTENT ADVISORY
The West Side Show Room believes in freedom of expression and we present all works in their entirety. We encourage people of all ages to expose themselves to a wide range of art, and to engage in critical discussions about the content they encounter. For specific information about the language, content, and effects in a particular production, please contact us.