Making The Audience Work For It

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins writes some of the most challenging plays I’ve read and seen. That’s partially due to the fact that his plays are each distinct in form, namely the way each play is delivered is as important as the story itself. Branden is a writer who is fascinated by the history of storytelling, from the Greeks to the Middle Ages, and within American drama, from the Civil War through the 20th century. In our interview, we talked about how he draws on old plays to examine how we experience the same themes today.

Branden’s plays, which include Neighbors, Appropriate, An Octoroon, Gloria, War, Everybody, and Girls, have won a host of awards including the MacArthur Fellowship. Branden is also a Pulitzer Prize finalist, a theater professor, and a consulting producer on the HBO series Watchmen.

Talking to Branden was a true pleasure. He is scholarly, perceptive, and genuine. If you haven’t seen or read Branden’s plays, I encourage you to check them out. His work will challenge you in the best way.

Links:

https://www.macfound.org/fellows/958/

https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/05/28/branden-jacob-jenkins-on-his-play-neighbors/

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