Blue-Eyed Black Boy

Georgia Douglas Johnson was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance and one of the earliest African-American playwrights. Her short play Blue-Eyed Black Boy is a prime example of her work, firmly rooted in black history and activism. This play, which runs less than 10 minutes long, is as much a narrative account as it is a realist domestic drama. Pauline Waters and her daughter Rebecca are preparing for Rebecca’s wedding when they learn that unseen son Jack has been accused of attacking a white woman. With a mob on the way to carry out a lynching, most of the play centers on Pauline’s desperation to save her son. With its deep authenticity, Blue-Eyed Black Boy is an accessible piece of theatre with opportunities to educate and spark discussion about a grim period of American history.