My Mistress, My Slave

2w, 20-30

Cornelia, daughter of a rich Savannah plantation owner, has convinced him to take her with him on a voyage to Italy, accompanied by her slave Letty. Off the North African coast, they are captured by Barbary pirates. Cornelia expects adventure like she has read about in romance novels, but instead comes up against the reality of slavery, while Letty converts to Islam and becomes a successful slave trader herself. Cornelia's widowed mother finally ransoms Cornelia, resulting in a bittersweet farewell between the mistress and the slave.

The nine scenes of My Mistress, My Slave range from a Southern plantation to a ship to rooms in Algiers, using little more than a large trunk as a prop. Scenery need not be representational, since costuming can do a good job of conveying both location and change of status between mistress and slave.

This one-act, two-character play provides fine acting challenges for two actresses. Their arcs travel in opposite directions, the contrast letting them show a range of behaviors from obsequious to domineering.