The New York Times Profiles Jacobs-Jenkins' NEIGHBORS, Opens 2/16 at The Public

Author Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has taken a different approach to depicting race in his upcoming play, NEIGHBORS, reports the New York Times, set to open at The Public Theatre on February 16th. Jacobs-Jenkins has his black actors play the roles in black face, as was often done in minstrel performances during the Vaudeville era. 

The New York Times spoke with Jacobs-Jenkins about his show and the choices he made to have the show performed in such a unique fashion. Jacbobs-Jenkins tells the times, "I wanted to write a play about blackness, and theatrical forms about the history of blackness, and as a writer I pushed myself to explore ideas and images that made me uneasy."

To read the article from the Time, click here.

NEIGHBORS is premiering as a part of The Public Theatre's Lab series, presenting new works in small scale productions. This allows for writers to get their shows produced and seen by audiences without having to gain the many financial backers usually needed to see a show make it to the stage.

The Public's artistic director, Mandy Hackett, said of the show, "The blackface and the minstrelsy may make some people uncomfortable, yes, but it's in that space of uncomfort that great theater happens."

The show centers around Richard Patterson and the new family that moves in next door, the Crows. Patterson is not happy. The family of black actors that has moved in next door is rowdy, tacky, shameless, and uncouth. And they are not just invading his neighborhood-they're infiltrating his family, his sanity, and his entirely post-racial lifestyle. This wildly theatrical, explosive play on race marks the major debut of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, member of the Public's Emerging Writers Group.

Performances for NEIGHBORS begin at the Public on February 16th and run through March 7th. Performances take place Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday through Friday at 8:00pm Saturday at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets for all Public Lab series productions are $10.00 and may be purchased online at tickets.publictheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 212-967-7555.

Founded by Joseph Papp as the Shakespeare Workshop and now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, The Public is an American theater in which all the country's voices, rhythms, and cultures converge. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson, The Public is dedicated to embracing the complexities of contemporary society and nurturing both artists and audiences, as it continues Joseph Papp's legacy of creating a place of inclusion and a forum for ideas.

The Public Theater produces new plays, musicals, productions of Shakespeare, and other classics in its headquarters on Lafayette Street (the former Astor library, which opened as The Public Theater in 1967 with the world premiere of the musical Hair) and at the Delacorte Theater, its permanent summertime home of free Shakespeare in the Park each summer. The Public's newest performance space, Joe's Pub, has become an important venue for new work and intimate performances by musicians, spoken-word artists, and solo performers.

For more information, visit www.publictheatre.org.

Photo Credit: Brian Estrada

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