Adrienne Kennedy

The Adrienne Kennedy Working Group explores the experimental dramaturgy of American playwright Adrienne Kennedy (b. 1931) by reading her plays alongside interdisciplinary scholarship. Known for Black female characters with fragmented racial identities, Kennedy’s plays often challenge critics, audiences, and readers alike. This working group brings Yale students and faculty into dialogue to decode and imagine new stagings of Kennedy’s plays. Relying on our dual perspectives as scholars and artists, we consider how we might continue Kennedy’s legacy in academia and the American theater. Moreover, we will discuss Kennedy’s influence on contemporary Black playwrights, such as Suzan-Lori Parks, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, and Aleshea Harris. Our research engages with a wide range of disciplines, including theater and performance studies; literary studies; African American studies; mixed race studies; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies; and film and media studies. 

We welcome participants from a wide range of artistic and academic backgrounds. Please email daria.kerschenbaum@yale.edu and tia.smith.tes52@yale.edu to learn more.