Black and White Ball

by Scott Carter Cooper

As Truman Capote prepares for his famous Black and White Ball at The Plaza Hotel, Tallulah Bankhead, Rock Hudson, and James Baldwin come to convince him to talk to the head of CBS about producing a Tennessee Williams play for Tallulah. The party is interrupted by John Wayne, who would rather die than be caught with "these people."

As Truman Capote prepares for his famous Black and White Ball at The Plaza Hotel, Tallulah Bankhead, Rock Hudson, and James Baldwin come to convince him to talk to the head of CBS about producing a Tennessee Williams play for Tallulah. The party is interrupted by John Wayne, who would rather die than be caught with "these people."

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Black and White Ball

Recommended by

  • Sarah Hajkowski: Black and White Ball by Scott Carter Cooper
    “

    With all characters being, as Carter Cooper recognizes, "real, distinctive people" this play does a magic trick. Not only does it convey the lived experience of public figures who colored literature and film in the mid-Sixties, the play is a masterclass in characters activated by need and history of relationship.

    Witty and flowing, "Black and White Ball" rolls like a Technicolor Hollywood party. I started fantasy-casting the play in my head as I read. Long live dirty jokes in expensive clothes!

    With all characters being, as Carter Cooper recognizes, "real, distinctive people" this play does a magic trick. Not only does it convey the lived experience of public figures who colored literature and film in the mid-Sixties, the play is a masterclass in characters activated by need and history of relationship.

    Witty and flowing, "Black and White Ball" rolls like a Technicolor Hollywood party. I started fantasy-casting the play in my head as I read. Long live dirty jokes in expensive clothes!

    ”
All five of these characters are based upon real people, all of whom were very distinctive. Their
characteristics were part of the creation of these characters and should be taken into consideration in
the casting and performance. That said, the original conception of the play had the role of Truman
Capote to be played by a cis woman and Tallulah Bankhead to be played by a cis man. This is not an
iron-clad rule. The director is encouraged to be creative in casting. The one hard-and-fast rule is that
whether male, female, or nonbinary, the role of James Baldwin must be played by an African American
actor.

Development History

  • Reading, The Ubiquitous Players, 2024