Blood of My Blood uses a ghost story to confront slavery’s legacy

Blood of My Blood is a play by Joy Nesbitt that moves between present-day America and the time when slavery was abolished.

In the play, a white couple has turned a South Carolina plantation into a holiday rental for celebrations and weddings.

Talulah, a Black British woman who has traced her family history to the site, says this use of the plantation treats it as a tourist attraction.

She tries to contact her ancestor Ginnie, who was enslaved there, through a ritual called conjuring.

Their story brings the plantation’s past into the present and raises questions about how people should face the history of slavery.

The play also follows arguments between Talulah and the plantation’s owners, including a descendant of an enslaver.

It combines horror and comedy with drama about race and family history.