Nambi E. Kelley to Adapt Richard Wright's NATIVE SON in Chicago; Slated to Open Fall 2014

Court Theatre and American Blues Theater jointly announce the development of a new adaptation of Richard Wright's classic novel, Native Son, adapted by Nambi E. Kelley, a member of the American Blues Ensemble. Native Son is slated to open in fall 2014 at Court Theatre as part of its 60th Anniversary Season and American Blues Theater's 29th season.

Published in 1940, Native Son is considered one of the most important novels of the 20th century. It tells the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas, an African American living in utter poverty on Chicago's South Side. The action escalates after Thomas gets a job as a chauffeur for the Daltons, a wealthy white family. One night, Thomas finds himself making a terrible, violent mistake that changes the course of his entire life. An examination of violence and racism in American culture, Native Son questions who is the criminal and who is the victim in a gripping tale. By producing this work, Court Theatre and American Blues Theater brings Native Son back to Richard Wright's own neighborhood on Chicago's South Side.

The new adaptation of Native Son is being developed by American Blues Theater and Court Theatre throughout their 2013-14 seasons. In addition to the production, American Blues Theater and Court will work together to further engage the community by developing an original exhibit at Hyde Park's DuSable Museum of African American History and partnering with the Chicago Public Libraries and the Chicago Public Schools to encourage young people in Chicago to read the novel before seeing the production at Court Theatre, 5535 S Ellis Ave.

"Richard Wright's Native Son is one of the most important novels of the 20th century. American Blues Theater and Court are committed to telling this story of a young, African-American man, who makes a decision driven by fear and uncertainty and begins a free-fall toward oblivion. This story is, unfortunately, still relevant and demands to be produced for a new generation. We are thrilled to be working with American Blues Theater on this particular play, which we think will resonate in Chicago and throughout the nation," says Charles Newell, Court Theatre's artistic director.