White As Snow
Written & Performed by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin
Directed by Kyle Brown
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival
Performance Dates: April 7, 10, 12, 14, & 18, 2026
What does it mean to hold onto faith while redefining it for yourself?
At the Chain Theatre, as part of the New York City Fringe Festival, White As Snow, written and performed by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin, blends storytelling, music, and sermon into an intimate solo work tracing an ex-preacher’s journey through faith, identity, and self-acceptance.
Accompanied by a live pianist, Benjamin moves seamlessly between song and speech. Her singing is stunning—rich, resonant, and anchored by a powerful belt that gives the musical moments weight. When she speaks about her faith, she glows, bringing a “take us to church” energy that grounds the piece and draws the audience in.
At its core, White As Snow chronicles a life shaped by faith as both guide and obstacle. Benjamin shares her experience as the daughter of Haitian immigrants and a first-generation Canadian, navigating family, queerness, and belief. She recounts her mother’s accident—a life-altering event that shifted her trajectory, affecting her education and circumstances—rooting the work in lived experience.
Faith remains central throughout. Benjamin reflects on her evolving relationship with the church, including her “Dear White Church” letter and her rejection of its treatment of queer people. What emerges is not an abandonment of belief, but a reclamation—one rooted in healing, self-acceptance, and the assertion that we are not broken.
The piece also engages with broader conversations around race and history. Referencing figures such as Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till, Benjamin considers what it means to bear witness from outside the United States while still existing within a shared global reality of these losses. At one point, she notes, “history must be black because she keeps having to repeat herself,” a line that lingers.
By the end, when she affirms, “I am good,” the moment feels earned—and I believed her.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Penelope Deen.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 15, 2026. All rights reserved.
