Native Son (Kelley/Wright)
- Full Length Play, Drama, 1930s
- 7M, 4F
- ISBN: 9780573704659
Richard Wright's iconic novel about oppression, freedom, and justice comes to life on stage in this ground-breaking adaptation.
Description
- Full Length Play
- Drama
- 90 minutes
- Time Period: 1930s
- Target Audience: Adult
- Performance Group:
- Professional Theatre
Adapted with theatrical ingenuity by Chicago's own Nambi E. Kelley, this Native Son captures the power of Richard Wright's novel for a whole new generation.
REVIEWS:
"4 out of 4 stars. You never doubt the truth... you are seeing in this gutsy, powerful, relentless, profoundly disturbing piece of Chicago theater."
Chicago Tribune
"Stirring... strong, serious stuff, just as it should be."
Wall Street Journal
"5 out of 5 stars. Playwright Nambi E. Kelley's achievement is impressive not only for successfully dramatizing the tale of Bigger Thomas and his seemingly inevitable succumbing to systemic racism and poverty on the South Side, but for doing so by not being slavish to her source."
Time Out Chicago
"Unflinching in its honesty and searing in its passion, Native Son is not only a Grade-A example of literary adaptation, but also a play that truly speaks to our times and the ever-troubled American spirit that defines them."
Chicago Theatre Review
Characters
- Casting: 7M, 4F
- Casting Attributes: Reduced casting (Doubling Possible), Role(s) for Black Actor(s)
- Casting Notes: -This play can be performed with a cast of 9 or 11 actors with THE BLACK RAT doubling as GUS and BRITTEN.
-The live black rat that Bigger chases, and the white cat can be puppets activated by an unseen manipulator.
THE BLACK RAT - African-American male 20s, the voice inside Bigger's head
MARY - Caucasian female, early 20s, edgy and simultaneously precious
JAN - Caucasian male, 30s, well-intentioned with an edge; plays a variety of roles
HANNAH - African-American female, early 40s, tough, broken, the edge of anger; plays a variety of roles
BUDDY - African-American male to play teens, soft, a follower; plays a variety of roles
BESSIE - African-American female to plays teens to mid-20s, alcoholic; also plays VER and a variety of roles
MRS. DALTON - Caucasian female, late 40s to early 50s, blind and well-intentioned; plays a variety of roles
MR. DALTON - Caucasian male, late 40s to early 50s, seemingly upstanding; plays a variety of roles
BRITTEN - Caucasian male, 40s-50s, main investigator, thrives on mischief; plays a variety of roles
GUS - African-American male, 20s, Bigger's best friend, smarter than Bigger with less fight; plays a variety of roles
Available Material
| Name | Price |
|---|---|
|
Native Son (Kelley/Wright) Script
This is optional.
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Suffocating in rat-infested poverty on the South Side of Chicago in the 1930s, 20-year-old Bigger Thomas struggles to find a place for himself in a world whose prejudice has shut him out. After taking a job in a wealthy white man's house, Bigger unwittingly unleashes a series of events that violently and irrevocably seal his fate. |
$24.95 |
