The Blacks

The Blacks is Jean Genet’s richly theatrical spectacle exploring racism, imperialism, and revolution. In this grotesque, mysterious, savage, and haunting story, a group of African American performers face a white tribunal, before which they must re-enact the shocking murder of a white woman — while a revolution may or may not be occurring beyond the theater’s doors. “One evening an actor asked me to write a play for an all-black cast,” Genet explains the play’s genesis. “But what exactly is a black? First of all, what’s his color?” With this question, Genet embarks on a uniquely theatrical exploration, crossing the boundaries of race, sex, class, and responsibility that has challenged audiences since its debut.

The Blacks premiered in America in a landmark production at St. Marks Playhouse in New York in 1961. That long-running, award-winning production launched the careers of actors as diverse as James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Brown, and Maya Angelou.