White As Snow
Written & Performed by Rose-Ingrid Benjamin
Directed by Kyle Brown; Musical Direction & Composition by Katie James
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—Katie James, whose presence is lively—Benjamin moves seamlessly between song and speech. Her singing is stunning—rich, resonant, and anchored by a powerful belt that lends the musical moments both gravity and release. The soundscape, shaped well by James—who composed the Mortal Kombat piece and was instrumental in arranging and crafting the work—deepens the emotional texture of the performance, underscoring its shifts between sermon, memory, and song. 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 firmly in lived experience. This woman’s strength shines through, anchoring the piece in resilience as much as reflection.
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 grounded in healing, self-possession, 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 resonates long after it is spoken.
By the end, when she affirms, “I am good,” the moment feels fully earned—and I believed her.
White As Snow is incisive and deeply sincere. Work centering Black, queer, international voices deserves to be seen. Performances continue April 12 and 14, with a final performance at the NYC Fringe this Saturday, April 18—go.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Penelope Deen.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 15, 2026. All rights reserved.
