Collage of people with varied skin tones and clothing styles, standing outdoors on grass, with abstract buildings and a waterfall in the background.

OCTOBER 31ST-NOVEMBER 22ND

THE WASH

BY KELUNDRA SMITH
DIRECTED BY TASIA A. JONES

The Wash offers an intimate and often funny look at ordinary women who went from workers to fighters – and won.

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The Wash by Kelundra Smith is a gripping new play inspired by the 1881 Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike, one of the first major labor actions led by Black women in the United States. Inside a shared laundry co-op, a group of Black washerwomen organize for fair wages and respect, transforming everyday work into collective resistance. Grounded in history and filled with heart, The Wash celebrates the power of Black women who stood together and changed the course of labor history.

Summary

Playwright: Kelundra Smith
Director: Tasia A. Jones
Assistant Director / Dialect Coach: Nirah Michel
Stage Manager: Tara Hightower*
Stage Manager: Gabby Stryker
Sound Designer: Joshua Jackson
Scenic Designer: Janie E. Howland**
Lighting Designer: Amanda E. Fallon**
Projection Designer: ​​Pamela Hersch
Costume Designer: Athena Parkman Associate Costume Designer: Zoe Sundra Costume Assistant: Marissa Wolf
Props Designer: Julia Wonkka
Produced by: Front Porch Arts Collective

* Member of Actors’ Equity Association ** Represented by Local USA 829 of the IATSE

Cast & Creative Team

MaConnia Chesser*
Jeanie

MarHadoo Effeh*
Thomasine

Close-up of a woman with long red hair, blue eyes, and light skin, wearing a yellow sleeveless top, looking at the camera with a subtle smile.
Portrait of a smiling woman with a shaved head and long, twisted hair on one side, wearing a red dress and earrings.

Eliza Fichter
Mozelle

Lindsey McWhorter*
Anna

Close-up portrait of a smiling woman with curly black hair, wearing a sleeveless maroon top and gold hoop earrings, against a brown background.

Jada Saintlouis
Charity

Kiera Prusmack*
Jewel

Close-up portrait of a woman with dark curly hair, brown eyes, and smooth skin, wearing a brown shirt, against a dark background.
A woman with short curly hair, smiling, wearing makeup, pearl earrings, and a floral blouse against a white background.

“It’s important people know that Black women have always been at the forefront of movements,” Jones says. “Kelundra Smith tells a powerful story through the eyes of distinctly different women who were a part of it. It has a sense of community, sisterhood, and history.”

- Tasia A. Jones on The Wash in The Boston Globe

SHOW DATES

OCTOBER 31ST - NOVEMBER 22ND, 2026

Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in the Roberts Studio Theatre

527 Tremont St

Boston, MA 02116

LOCATION

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

  • Open Captioned Performances: November 8th at 2pm and November 22nd at 2pm. Captioning services provided by Think Outside the Vox and AccessTech.

  • Black Out Night: Thursday, November 12. 6pm pre-show in Deane Hall with free food and light refreshments, followed by a 7pm performance.

  • Community Night: Thursday, November 19. 6pm pre-show in Deane Hall with free food and light refreshments and a donation drive for our friends at Rosie’s Place.