Review: History Uncovered, Recovered, Reborn in "axes, herbs and satchels: open the archives"

axes, herbs & satchels: open the archive

Devised by The Anthropologists

Co-directed and co-written by Sandie Luna and Melissa Moschitto

Presented at JACK (20 Putnam Ave, Brooklyn, NYC), April 16-19, 2025; Hebrew Tabernacle (551 Fort Washington Ave, Manhattan, NYC), May 1, 2025; and Tiffany Street Theatre @ Inspiration Point (710 Tiffany St, Bronx, NYC), May 9-11, 2025

axes, herbs and satchels. Photo by Jody Christopherson
axes, herbs and satchels: open the archives, devised by The Anthropologists, is a time-traveling exploration of midwifery in America, spanning South Carolina in 1922, Florida in 1977, and “Here. Now.” Through a blend of archival research, movement, and direct audience engagement, the play examines how traditional midwifery knowledge, safeguarded by Black women, was systematically displaced by medical overregulation and the institutionalization of healthcare throughout the 20th century. This is a play about what has been lost, and how it might yet be recovered.

Audience interaction is integral to the production. The play opens in a hospital waiting room. The ensemble enters, dressed as medical professionals, moving between rows of seats and confronting audience members with curt, impersonal questions: “What kind of insurance do you have?” and “Are you planning on going on birth control?” This direct engagement sets the tone for the play’s interrogation of healthcare systems that marginalize and silence practitioners and patients of color. Later, the audience is included in the act of remembrance and reclamation. When Beulah (Jan Andree) asks, “What else does our midwife need to bring healing to birthing bodies and welcome healthy babies into this world?,” the ensemble offers "Togetherness! Community …” before making space for the audience to offer their replies, making the play as much about education as it is about action and empowerment which can lead to reclamation and change.

The Anthropologists at JACK. Photo by Jody Christopherson.
The set is minimal and effective. A small table holds a black bag—the midwife’s bag—a recurring object that anchors the narrative across generations. A second, larger table serves at various times as a seat, a desk, or a platform for action. This pared-down design keeps focus firmly on the actors and the traditions they embody, as well on the importance of the contents of that bag (all manner of healing herbs, cobwebs, and gun powder) and why a midwife always takes an axe with her when she leaves home.

As the story moves through time, the costumes shift accordingly. Early scenes feature practical, handmade garments. As the decades progress, these are gradually replaced by white coats and caps, reflecting the growing encroachment of clinical authority on the tradition of midwifery.
Sandie Luna with Jan Andree in axes, herbs and satchels. Photo by Jody Christopherson
The ensemble’s performances are deeply collaborative. Coordinated movements, a deft use of lamps, and choral sequences undergird the play with a haunted, ritualistic, and collective quality while still allowing individual voices to emerge. Jan Andree brings a deep authority to the role of Beulah. Cane in hand and medical bag packed, she embodies both tenderness and steely resistance as a midwife safeguarding inherited knowledge. Genevieve Ngosa Daniels anchors the modern storyline as Kamara. Daniels moves with clarity and emotional precision, portraying Kamara’s grief, frustration, and determination to uncover the past and chart a path forward. Enette Fremont lends authority and nuance to the role of Cynthia, a county nurse in Florida, 1977, deftly walking the line between institutional agent and reluctant ally, showing how even well-intentioned figures can perpetuate systemic harm.

Despite its serious subject matter, axes, herbs and satchels is punctuated with moments of levity that deepen, rather than undercut, its impact. Humor arises organically from character interactions, especially among the elder midwives. Jan Andree, who also plays Josephine, is a particular source of sharp, knowing wit, her commentary on everything from payment plans in chickens to the absurdity of male doctors positioning themselves as birthing experts drew consistent laughter. The comedic highlight however is the ensemble number “Cha-Ching,” an incisive sequence in which the cast, now dressed as modern medical professionals, bombards Kamara (and the audience) with a flurry of bureaucratic questions and jargon, underscored by the recurring refrain of “cha-ching.” The song recalls the play’s opening hospital scene and provides a sharp commentary on the profit-driven undercurrent of contemporary healthcare, underscoring how systems designed to dispossess can also be monetized and those systems that are monetized are indeed designed to dispossess.
The Anthropologists at JACK. Photo by Jody Christopherson.
axes, herbs and satchels: open the archives does more than recount history. It invites audiences to bear witness, to participate, and to carry forward a legacy of care and resistance. The company’s decision to stage the production across three venues—in Brooklyn, uptown Manhattan, and the Bronx—far from the glint, glitz, and lights of downtown, further underscores their commitment to accessibility and community engagement. By bringing the show to these neighborhoods, The Anthropologists affirm that these histories, and these conversations about healthcare and justice, belong in every corner of the city, not just traditional theatre spaces.

This is not merely a play to watch. It is a history lesson, a communal gathering, a call to action, and a vital reminder that trauma is not the only thing we inherit. Knowledge, tradition, and even joy are part of a cultural inheritance as well, worth safeguarding to preserve the past and the shape the future.

-Noah Simon Jampol

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