Being Black Outside

by Vinecia Coleman

Vee and Niecy return to their childhood home after their mother dies, just in time for the end of the world--the Apocalypse--to begin. While remembering the past and debating the future, the sisters meet their mother's neighbor (a well-meaning White woman) and are forced to contend with what it means to be Black...outside. This comedic play takes a look at the absurdities and realities of living in a world that...

Vee and Niecy return to their childhood home after their mother dies, just in time for the end of the world--the Apocalypse--to begin. While remembering the past and debating the future, the sisters meet their mother's neighbor (a well-meaning White woman) and are forced to contend with what it means to be Black...outside. This comedic play takes a look at the absurdities and realities of living in a world that centers whiteness.

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Being Black Outside

Recommended by

  • Adrienne Dawes: Being Black Outside

    The reading of "Being Black Outside" as part of Great Plains Theatre Conference was my introduction to Vinecia's work and I'm so grateful to know this play and playwright! I lived for the moments between the sisters - the musicality of Vinecia's dialogue is a fucking treat for actors and audiences alike!

    The reading of "Being Black Outside" as part of Great Plains Theatre Conference was my introduction to Vinecia's work and I'm so grateful to know this play and playwright! I lived for the moments between the sisters - the musicality of Vinecia's dialogue is a fucking treat for actors and audiences alike!

  • Patrick Vermillion: Being Black Outside

    An incredibly theatrical and brilliantly bold piece that directly confronts what so much other American art refuses to acknowledge. Vinecia masterfully balances tonality - allowing her play to alternate between horror, comedy, and tragedy without ever feeling confused. My favorite kind of work - where a big belly laugh and a gut-wrenching sadness can be present in the same scene - in the same line. And despite the play's pointed absurdism - the characters at the center feel like real, complex people. Vinecia's voice is unlike anything else I've seen in American theater - a genuinely...

    An incredibly theatrical and brilliantly bold piece that directly confronts what so much other American art refuses to acknowledge. Vinecia masterfully balances tonality - allowing her play to alternate between horror, comedy, and tragedy without ever feeling confused. My favorite kind of work - where a big belly laugh and a gut-wrenching sadness can be present in the same scene - in the same line. And despite the play's pointed absurdism - the characters at the center feel like real, complex people. Vinecia's voice is unlike anything else I've seen in American theater - a genuinely idiosyncratic work.

  • Kate Busselle: Being Black Outside

    This apocalyptic, absurdist comedy is a true delight! The snappy, hilarious, realistic arguments between Vee and Niecy are often interrupted by the bizarre. You never know where this play will lead with its delightful (and sometimes horrifying) twists and turns. Woven throughout is hard-hitting commentary of the challenges of religion, mental health, and racism in the black American diaspora. Incredible, dynamic scenes for scene study/acting classes as well as enthralling design opportunities with this play!

    This apocalyptic, absurdist comedy is a true delight! The snappy, hilarious, realistic arguments between Vee and Niecy are often interrupted by the bizarre. You never know where this play will lead with its delightful (and sometimes horrifying) twists and turns. Woven throughout is hard-hitting commentary of the challenges of religion, mental health, and racism in the black American diaspora. Incredible, dynamic scenes for scene study/acting classes as well as enthralling design opportunities with this play!

View all 4 recommendations

Character Information

  • VEE
    Character Age
    Mid to Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Black/African-American
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • NIECY
    Character Age
    Early to Mid 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    Black/African-American
    Character Gender Identity
    Female
  • NEIGHBOR
    Character Age
    Mid to Late 30s
    Character Race/Ethnic Identity
    White
    Character Gender Identity
    Female

Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization Great Plains Theater Commons, Year 2024
  • Type Reading, Organization Co-production: Frank Theater/Theater 45, Year 2023
  • Type Reading, Organization Boise Contemporary Theater's BIPOC Festival, Year 2022

Awards

  • Great Plains Theater Commons Conference
    Winner
  • Seven Devils Playwright Conference
    Semi-Finalist
    2024
  • BIPOC Playwrights' Festival
    Boise Contemporary Theater
    Winner
    2022