Venus (Eboni Session) studied by scientists played by William Irvine,  Juan Carlos Contreras, Keili Simmons Marble and Rose Gutierrez Jimenez

Based on a true story from the early 19th century, the play is at once historical and contemporary, told in a dynamic drama that takes Venus and the audience from South Africa to a carnival show in England and a scientist’s laboratory in France.

The character of Venus is based on a real historical figure, Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman who was the most celebrated of several women from the Khoisan peoples in South Africa who were exhibited in Europe as “Venus Hottentot.” They were seen as curiosities or even as freaks for physiques that were unusual to the Europeans of that time.

But playwright Park also cautions, “It’s not a history play. There are historical elements in it, and there’s a lot of fiction in it, too. It’s a play about her and also about love.”