Black Star Line
Commissioned by Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and produced
there in 1996, Black Star Line chronicles the rise of Marcus
Garvey and the Back to Africa movement of the 1920’s.
Garvey, a Jamaican immigrant to the United States, founded the
Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). At a time when
W.E.B. Du Bois and the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP) were arguing that African Americans
should claim their full rights as US citizens, Garvey was pushing
for a separate black sovereign nation in the African state of
Liberia.
“One of the best plays about race that I have ever seen, emerging playwright
Charles Smith’s bold and provocative historical drama is a major new American
work. Unafraid to take risks in the minefield of race politics and history, Black
Star Line is a balanced and measured portrayal of one of the most fascinating
and ultimately tragic figures in twentieth century America.” – Chris
Jones, New City
Original first drafts, intermediate drafts, final and/or published drafts of
this play are part of the DePaul University Library’s Special Collections
Archives Division, 2000.
Production Requirements:
Cast requirements: 16 men (11 African American, 5 Caucasian)
4 women (All African American)
Set requirements: Unit Set, various locations.
Approximate running time: 2 hour, 45 minutes (Three Acts)
Production History:
• The Goodman Theatre, Chicago, 1996
-Awarded the 1996 Black Theater Alliance Award for New Work
-Listed in Limelight Editions of Best Plays of 1995-1996, edited by Otis
L.
Guernsey
Jr. and Jeffrey Sweet
