IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT Extends At Under The Radar
Obie Award-winning actor, playwright, and director Roger Guenveur Smith presents an intimate one-man show honoring his friend and collaborator.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 09, 2026
Four more performances have been added of New York Theatre Workshop's New York premiere of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith (“All Rise”).
Part of Under the Radar, In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat began performances in NYTW's Fourth Street Theatre at New York Theatre Workshop (79 E 4th Street, New York, NY 10003) yesterday, January 7, 2026. 6pm performances have been added for Tuesday January 13-Friday January 16. The final performance will be January 18, 2026.
Obie Award-winning actor, playwright, and director Roger Guenveur Smith presents an intimate one-man show honoring his friend and collaborator Jean-Michel Basquiat. Weaving personal stories and historical anecdotes with his improvisational performance style, Guenveur Smith explores the legacy of one of the most defining artists of the 20th century and his enduring impact.
Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roger Guenveur Smith met in Los Angeles, where Jean-Michel was painting in a Venice studio and Smith was rapping as “Hollywatts” on the fertile 1980s club scene. Smith's politically charged soliloquies found their way onto Basquiat's canvas, and Smith eventually created “Smiley,” the Basquiat-inspired artist/arsonist for Spike Lee's classic Do the Right Thing.
In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat has been presented for retrospectives of the artist's work at the Brooklyn Museum and MOCA Los Angeles, as well as an acclaimed run at St. Paul's Penumbra Theatre. It features live sound design by Marc Anthony Thompson.
Videos