Explore this Show
Overview
Synopsis
A racial incident consumes a small college campus in Kirsten Greenidge’s Baltimore. Fiona, a white student, leaves a racist drawing on Alyssa’s dorm room door, igniting a firestorm and forcing a diverse group of first-year students to reckon with their own identities. As Fiona insists it was just a joke, students like Rachel, Leigh, and Grace have difficult conversations about race relations and their place in a society that struggles to see race in a nuanced way. Meanwhile, the dorm’s resident advisor, Shelby, feels completely unequipped to handle such a delicate situation despite coming from a family that idolized civil rights icons. The play was first workshopped in 2016 and feels especially timely in the wake of social justice uprisings and the campus protests in the United States during the Israeli-Hamas war. Baltimore is a challenging ensemble play for diverse young actors that raises difficult questions about identity, race, and belonging. Actors should be aware that the play’s dialogue includes racial slurs.
Show Information
- Book
- Kirsten Greenidge
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2016
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Contemporary, Simple/No Set
- Time & Place
- A small New England campus college, Present Day
- Cast Size
- medium
- Licensor
- Playscripts, inc
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright