''Blood at the Root'' is a play by

Dominique Morisseau Dominique Morisseau (born March 13, 1978) is an American playwright and actress from Detroit, Michigan. She has authored over nine plays, three of which are part of a cycle titled ''The Detroit Project.'' She was a recipient of the MacArthur Fel ...

that premiered in 2014 at Pennsylvania State University. The title ''Blood at the Root'' comes from the song '' Strange Fruit'' about the lynchings of African Americans in the South. The show was based on the

Jena Six The Jena Six were six black teenagers in Jena, Louisiana, convicted in the 2006 beating of Justin Barker, a white student at the local Jena High School, which they also attended. Barker was injured on December 4, 2006, by the members of the Jen ...

Productions

The show premiered at Penn State Center Stage at Pennsylvania State University on March, 28, 2014, directed by Steve H. Broadnax, choreography Aquila Kikora Franklin, set design Karl Jacobsen, costume design Montana Carly Reeder, lighting design Nathan Hawkins, and sound design Liz Sokolak. The cast included Stori Ayers (Raylynn), Allison Scarlet Jaye (Toria), Kenzie Ross (Asha), Brandon Carter (Justin), Tyler Reilly (Colin), and Christian Thompson (De'Andre). It would premiere two years later in New York City at the

National Black Theatre The National Black Theatre is a non-profit cultural and educational corporation, and community-based theatre company located on 5th Avenue in Harlem, New York. History The National Black Theatre (NBT) is a non-profit cultural and educational ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blood at the Root 2014 plays African-American plays American plays Plays about race and ethnicity Plays based on actual events Plays set in Louisiana Plays set in the United States