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Jean Genet Headshot

Jean Genet

Date of Birth: October 19, 1910

Date of Death: April 15, 1986 (75)

Birth Place: Paris, FRANCE

Productions

 
[Off-Broadway, 2014]
Playwright

Awards and Nominations


winner
New York Drama Critics Circle Awards - 1972 - Best Foreign Play

Jean Genet, The Screens


winner
Obie Awards - 1961 - Best New American Play

Jean Genet, The Blacks


winner
Obie Awards - 1960 - Best Foreign Play

Jean Genet, The Balcony

News

HAPPY DAYS to Star Roxanne Fay at Bridge Street Theatre
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 18, 2026

Roxanne Fay will star as Winnie in Samuel Beckett's HAPPY DAYS at Bridge Street Theatre in Catskill, NY, with Steven Patterson as Willie and direction by Matthew Earnest.
Interview: Allison Paranka And Maddie Scanlan of THE MAIDS at Mad Cat Theatre
by Sabrina Wallace - Aug 12, 2026

Mad Cat Theatre makes its Austin debut with Jean Genet’s The Maids. Co-founders Maddie Scanlan and Allison Paranka talk with BroadwayWorld about launching the company, their collaboration with Dirty Gold Theatre, why they chose the Absurdist classic, and what they hope to build next.
Review: THE MAIDS at Mad Cat + Dirty Gold
by Joni Lorraine - Aug 12, 2026

The Mad Cat Theatre, in partnership with Dirty Gold Theatre, is not being timid with audiences. According to their mission, Mad Cat “interprets classics and new works through rigorous text analysis, heightened specificity, and an embodied approach to character and world building… .” Their inaugural production of THE MAIDS should be evidence enough for us to know they take theatre and their mission seriously. THE MAIDS as produced by Mad Cat and Dirty Gold is also a superb study of the theatre of the absurd.
THE DOMESTIQUES to Make Los Angeles Premiere at New Theater Hollywood
by Stephi Wild - Aug 6, 2026

A trans-perspective reimagining of Jean Genet's The Maids will make its Los Angeles debut, following an acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Historian Amnon Kabatchnik Releases New Book BLOODY BROADWAY, VOLUME II
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 17, 2026

Drama professor, historian, director, and writer Amnon Kabatchnik has penned a new book in his reference series, Bloody Broadway: Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery, Volume II.
M. BUTTERFLY, THE SEAGULL and More Set for Talk Is Free Theatre 2026/27 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 24, 2026

Talk Is Free Theatre revealed the Barrie-based company will use its 25th season to “F*#% the System”–with full line-ups in Barrie, in Toronto, and multiple TIFT productions touring around the world.
CUL-DE-SAC and HOUSE GYALZ to Receive Staged Readings at La MaMa
by A.A. Cristi - May 28, 2026

La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club has announced staged readings of CUL-DE-SAC by Leslie Gauthier and HOUSE GYALZ by Abigail C. Onwunali, this year's Morgan Jenness Experiments in Playwriting Fellows.
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld May 28, 2026- THE BOOK OF MORMON Returns and More
by - May 28, 2026

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is May 28, 2026 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
Review Roundup: Kip Williams' THE MAIDS Transfers Off-Broadway
by Stephi Wild - May 27, 2026

St. Ann’s Warehouse’s 2025-26 season is culminating with The Donmar Warehouse’s production of The Maids, Jean Genet’s production about class struggle and blurred identity, in a new version written and directed by Kip Williams. Read the reviews!
TCG Reveals 2026 Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship Recipients
by Stephi Wild - May 14, 2026

Theatre Communications Group announced Tianyu Lei and Viktoriia Shlenova as the 2026 recipients of the Willa Kim Costume Design Scholarship, honoring the legacy of the legendary costume designer.
Review: THE MOORS at The Theatre Centre
by Ilana Lucas - Apr 17, 2026

In Jen Silverman’s The Moors, the slightly deranged love child of the Brontës, Waiting For Godot, and Six, Emilie the governess (Blessing Adedijo) arrives at a manor amidst the titular plains to find that nothing is quite as she expected. Branwell, her supposed employer and warmhearted correspondent, is nowhere to be found, nor is the child she expects to teach.
Target Margin Theater Adds Additional Performance of THIS IS REAL
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 26, 2026

Target Margin Theater has added an additional matinee performance of This Is Real, a new theatrical production inspired by the work of Jean Genet, on Saturday, April 4 at 3pm.
All the Off-Broadway Shows to See in Spring 2026- A Complete Guide
by Team BWW - Mar 27, 2026

What’s happening Off-Broadway this spring? BroadwayWorld is here to guide you through the top picks for theatre this season. Spring 2026 is packed with exciting revivals, new works, and star-powered productions.
Video: CLUB CUMMING Trailer Previews New Docuseries About NYC Nightclub
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 9, 2026

A trailer has been released for Club Cumming, the new docuseries spotlighting Alan Cumming's New York City-based gay bar and nightclub of the same name. Watch it now.
Video: Alan Cumming Parodies A CHORUS LINE, LES MIZ & More at AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
by Josh Sharpe - Mar 9, 2026

Alan Cumming can't escape his musical theater roots! While hosting the 2026 AARP Movies for Grownups Awards in January, the Tony winner introduced each of the Best Film nominees with a medley of Broadway parodies. Watch it now.
Kip Williams-Helmed THE MAIDS to be Presented at St. Ann’s Warehouse
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Mar 2, 2026

St. Ann’s Warehouse’s 2025-26 season will culminate with the Donmar Warehouse’s production of The Maids, Jean Genet’s masterpiece of class struggle and blurred identity, in a new version written and directed by Kip Williams.
Target Margin Theater Will Present Jean Genet-Inspired THIS IS REAL in March
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 27, 2026

Target Margin Theater will present the world premiere of 'THIS IS REAL,' inspired by Jean Genet, from March 1 to April 5, 2026. The production explores themes of identity and reality through innovative staging and performance.
BWW Q&A: Brendan Healy Talks A DOLL'S HOUSE at Canadian Stage
by Joshua Wright - Dec 16, 2025

BroadwayWorld spoke with Brendan Healy about Canadian Stage's production of A Doll's House. Nora appears to be the perfect wife, but beneath the surface she harbours a secret that threatens to unravel her seemingly happy world. As the truth emerges, Nora gradually awakens to her own desires, and the play builds toward a radical act of self-liberation.  
Wake Up With BroadwayWorld October 23, 2025- HEATHERS To Welcome New 'Veronica' and More
by - Oct 23, 2025

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is October 23, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.
Historian Amnon Kabatchnik's BLOODY BROADWAY Released
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Oct 22, 2025

Amnon Kabatchnik has penned a new in his award-winning reference series. Kabatchnik's latest, Bloody Broadway: Plays of Menace, Murder, and Mystery, Volume I (BearManor Media) is now available.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What awards has Jean Genet been nominated for?

Jean Genet has been nominated for several awards throughout their career. They were nominated for Best Foreign Play at the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for their play "The Screens." Additionally, they received nominations for Best New American Play at the Obie Awards for "The Blacks" and Best Foreign Play at the Obie Awards for "The Balcony." These nominations highlight the recognition and acclaim that Genet's works have received in the theater industry.

What awards has Jean Genet won?

Jean Genet has won several awards for their work in the theater. They received the Best Foreign Play award from the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards for their play "The Screens." They also won the Best New American Play award from the Obie Awards for their play "The Blacks." Additionally, Genet received the Best Foreign Play award from the Obie Awards for their play "The Balcony." These accolades recognize the outstanding contributions that Genet has made to the world of theater.

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