‘Madam Queen’ @ Soul Rep Theatre Company
—Ramona Harper
When we think about Black women millionaires, Madam C.J. Walker, a pioneer entrepreneur of Black haircare products, is likely the most famous name that come to mind. But there was another lesser-known Black woman entrepreneur, who in the Gilded Age New York City of the late 19th century was the richest Black woman in the United States. Her claim to fame, however, was infamous and scandalous in comparison. This woman was Hannah Elias, self-described as “Madam Queen.”
Soul Rep Theatre Company’s world-premiere production of Dianne Tucker’s play of the same name tells the true story of Elias and her rise from poverty in Philadelphia. Co-directed by Guinea Bennett-Price and Tonya Holloway, the shocking tale of Elias’ life makes for fascinating drama. It’s a narrative that connects you to every riveting character — and to a web of murder and mistaken identity, madness and mayhem, jealous lovers and forbidden interracial love. All of it comes with plenty of historical fact and very little fiction: Can storytelling get any better than that?
The plot unfolds in a crescendo of intrigue around a protagonist who’s a former brothel sex worker, and a pay-to-play mistress and temptress. Her street smarts and survival instincts lead her down a seamy path from rags to riches to enormous wealth as a real estate mogul.
Using her light-skinned, pass-for-white beauty or feigning a background of Spanish royalty, Madam Queen/Hannah Elias gains access to the money of wealthy white men who finance her uncompromising quest for a better life. It’s a quest that would land her in courtrooms and jails several times in her life for prostitution and fraud — but prove a triumphant (if dystopian) fulfillment of the American Dream, in an era when women (especially Black women) were grossly underestimated and undervalued.
Madam Queen is a complex portrait of the proverbial street hustler and shrewd wheeler dealer who rises to incredible wealth and social stature — a feat for any woman of those times, and certainly for a Black woman in the fraught racial history of the United States.
Playwright, producer and poet Dianne Tucker (1951-2022) was a Texas artist and influencer in the arts, who founded the Dallas Drama Company (1985 to 1995) and mentored many theater-makers. Tucker’s intention in writing Madam Queen, which morphed over some thirty years from the original stage play into development as a screenplay, was to set the record straight and correct any misperceptions about Hannah Elias as a woman who only used men for her own gain.
Madam Queen concentrates on the controversies in the life of this driven Black woman and focuses on the upheaval in her relationships with men. In particular, it’s the tale of her illicit love affair with John R. Platt, a super-wealthy New York businessman, 45 years her senior. Their hidden relationship that lasted more than 20 years until his death.
It was Platt who financed much of Elias’s financial success but ultimately sued her for embezzlement. No spoiler alert, but the outcome of a trial-of- the-century in the early history of New York City is key to understanding the complex lives of both lovers.
A critically important addition to the playwright’s intention to correct misunderstandings about Hannah Elias, however, would have been to dramatize the fact that Hannah Elias was a philanthropist who made important contributions to the Black community. History has it that her business acumen and real estate purchases stabilized the homes and apartments for trailblazing Black Americans of the Harlem Renaissance in uptown New York City in the 1920s.
As the playwright has written it, however, Hannah Elias still comes across as a Black Jezebel who, in the end, overcame the odds to become a very rich woman in spite of morally questionable ways and means. She was a queen, regardless of how she got there.
So, the question that lingers in the air after leaving this absolutely must-see production is whether we should judge Hannah Elias’ choices and behaviors given the social context of her times—or see her as the queen she believed she was. This question is yours to answer as you immerse yourself in this arresting story.
A cast of eleven actors enact her torrid life. Each character is well developed, and each performer is superb in their characterizations. It feels unfair to single out any one of them for accolades. Instead, each one is recognized here for outstanding performances:
Raven Garcia as Hannah Elias
Renee Mi’chel Jones as Teenie
Alexander Delacruz as Kato
Lisa Cote as Belle
Jacobie Thornton as Dudley
Jada Wise as Miriam
Christian Taylor as John R. Platt
Thomas Leverton as Inspector/Judge
Brian Gibson as Cornelius
Nash Farmer as Kelly/Attorney
Jaelyn Thomas as Young Hannah
There’s also an air of mystery to the play in the strong character of Teenie the housekeeper, marvelously played by Renee Mi’chel Jones with a dash of Caribbean voodoo and a charming, perfectly believable Jamaican accent. Teenie lends an Aunt Esther-ish feel to the story, straight out of the August Wilson playbook as a likeable motherly figure and wise woman. She’s about the only person that strong-willed Hannah (played with consistently audacious haughtiness and confidence by the fantastic Raven Garcia) will listen to.
Teenie know she’s a queen too — and at one point in the performance actually dons a crown that might have been worn by Madam herself. The plot subtly shifts as Teenie represents the queen in all women who overcome the odds when the cards are stacked against them.
A creative team that’s an ensemble in equal number to the cast is also excellent in providing the superb production values that make Madam Queen a first-rate stage play and artistic gift for local audiences. Of particular note are videographic clips of the performers set to foreboding mood music. They serve to advance the storyline and give it vibrant life with visually striking montages of “what’s next?” in the remarkable life of Hannah Elias. Rich costume design anchors time and place with expensive satin skirts and lacy jackets, churchy bonnets embellished with gauzy swirls and florals, and waistcoats and starchy vests for the men. The creative team also deserves singular recognition:
Gabrielle Mabrough: Scenic Design
Hope Cox: Costume Design
Nick Lynch-Voris: Wig Design
Nicole Iannaccone: Light Design
Nash Farmer: Sound Design/Dramaturg
Nicholas Thornburg: Technical Director
Malaisian Ann Parker: Stage Manager
T’Niyah McLaughlin: Assistant Stage Manager
Jamarrio Washington: Director of Photography
Andrew Davis: Camera/Steadicam Operator
Sean Lyons: Cameraman
Survival is the first law of nature and Hannah Elias fully mastered the art of overcoming. Soul Rep Theatre Company is keeping her story alive — and honoring the legacy and memory of Dianne Tucker (aka diannetucker) with this exquisite production of Madam Queen. Don’t miss it!
WHEN: April 2-19, 2026
WHERE: South Dallas Cultural Center, 3400 Fitzhugh Street, Dallas
WEB: soulrep.org
