Sullivan Jones on the Audacity of Slave Play and the Act of Being Vulnerable on Stage

Sullivan Jones is making his Broadway debut as Philip in Jeremy O. Harris' Slave Play. The provocative new work, which transferred to Broadway's Golden Theatre after a sold-out run at New York Theater Workshop, focuses on three interracial couples navigating conflicts through a very specific kind of therapy. The limited run was recently extended through January 19, and Jones stopped by Broadway.com's #LiveatFive to chat with Beth Stevens about the show's audacity, his sports dreams and more.

"The first time I read the script there was shock and confusion," Jones said. "I use the word beguiled a lot. Jeremy [O. Harris'] writing keeps you off-balanced in a way that is really engaging. It's leading you somewhere you're not sure you want to go to. Jeremy is also really engaged in a deep way when he's in the room with us and is incredibly supportive."

It's no secret that Slave Play is the talk of the town with its title, subject matter and explicit sex scenes, and Jones hopes audiences leave the theater feeling differently than when the first entered. "Some people aren't aware of how to approach the play," he said. "For others, it's completely transformational. They come out of it going, 'I'm going to try to be a different person because of what I saw on stage.' That's the best compliment you can give a piece of theater."

Jones has to do his fair share of vulnerable acts in the play, but one of the most challenging things for him to master was the violin. "It's a very difficult instrument," he said. "I played guitar which is the same species of instrument but not the same thing at all. If you've ever tried to use a bow on a string you know how difficult this is. I have a newfound respect for violinists and cellists."

Growing up, Jones' eyes were set on the basketball court instead of center stage. "I was steered toward sports most of my life," he said. "I began reconsidering what I wanted to do I started dipping my toes into acting classes. I caught the bug and went to Brown [University] to play basketball and major in theater. I was immediately struck with the sense that I didn't want to be a professional athlete, but I was willing to do whatever it took to be a professional actor. I slowly made the shift and dove in the deep end and have been on that path ever since."

See Sullivan in Slave Play, now playing at the Golden Theatre.

Watch the full #LiveatFive episode below!