JoinProject451

The American Place Theatre - Literature to Life Stage Presentation of
Black Boy by Richard Wright

Performed by Tarantino Smith

Adapted & Directed by Wynn Handman

A verbatim adaptation of the classic American autobiographical work, Black Boy dramatizes Richard Wright's journey from childhood innocence to adulthood in the Jim Crow South. The issues addressed in this novel still resonate in today's cultural dialogue.

Having premiered at the Kennedy Center, this Literature to Life original was adapted for the stage in 2005 and marked one of the first on our roster to tour to educational communities nationally.  The show features fifty minutes of verbatim performance from the first half of this epic American novel.  A tour de force, the actor plays upwards of fifteen characters from Richard Wright's past.  The journey focuses on Richard's hunger for knowledge and his fight to claim his basic human rights in a racist society.  Surrounded by an interactive pre and post show discussion, the audience will explore themes including Racism and Individualism/Non Conformity.

Black Boy © 1944 Richard Wright. Published by Perennial Classics and used by permission of the author.