ALICE IN BLACK AND WHITE (full length) by Robin Rice

Award-winning, Off-Broadway produced drama based on actual events. Despite strict Victorian society, Alice Austen becomes the first woman photo-journalist and lives with her lover, another woman. Born into an upper middle-class family on Staten Island, NY, Alice is plunged into poverty during the Great Depression. The true story of the editor who discovers Alice's photographs, rescues her from the...
Award-winning, Off-Broadway produced drama based on actual events. Despite strict Victorian society, Alice Austen becomes the first woman photo-journalist and lives with her lover, another woman. Born into an upper middle-class family on Staten Island, NY, Alice is plunged into poverty during the Great Depression. The true story of the editor who discovers Alice's photographs, rescues her from the poorhouse and brings her work to the attention of the public is told in a parallel, interwoven thread.
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ALICE IN BLACK AND WHITE (full length)

Recommended by

  • Margaret McCarthy:
    27 Nov. 2023
    “ I saw the 2017 production and loved this play. Alice's story is heartbreaking; her art, her photographs, radiant. With masterful writing, Robin Rice brings us the life and times of this important female artist. ”
  • Morey Norkin:
    30 Aug. 2023
    “ As Alice Austen says of her photographs in this masterful work, “One is a bridge. Singular. Particular. Isolated. Together, they’re a river. An endless expanse!” That’s how I felt reading Robin Rice’s moving play that flows effortlessly between decades, bringing history to life, and connecting with us in a way that I imagine Ms. Austen would have appreciated. Outstanding. ”
  • Cheryl Bear:
    2 May. 2019
    “ Utterly beautiful writing, the imagery and lyrical quality of the piece allows this story to come alive with radiance. The characters and the history of the piece are so engaging, you can't help but fall in love with it. Wonderful! ”
View all 6 recommendations

Character Information

Alice Austen - Age 10-86. Victorian photographer. Smart. Independent. Sarcastic.
Mother - Alice's mother. (may also play Street Person, Attendant)
Gertrude - Alice's love. Younger than Alice. (may also play Alice's friend Julia)
Grandfather - Alice's grandfather. (may also play James, Rodgers, City Official)
Minn - Mother's younger sister. (may also play Violet, Harry, Grace)
Some or all of the doubled characters may be played by additional actors.

  • Alice Austen
    10-86.
    Ages from 10 to 86. Caucasian. Photographer. Gay. Smart. Curious. Sarcastic. Independent. Athletic. (A real person.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Oliver Jensen
    40s.,
    White
    ,
    Male
    40s. Writer. Historian. (A real person.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Sally Lally
    40.,
    Any
    ,
    Female
    40. Tightly wound receptionist at a historical museum. Crazy for history.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Gertrude
    20s-elderly.,
    White
    ,
    Female
    20s to elderly. Caucasian. Alice's love. Sensitive. (A real person.) (May also play Alice's friend Julia.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary
  • Grandfather
    Middle aged to elderly.,
    White
    ,
    Male
    Middle-aged to elderly. Caucasian. Loving. Not much of a disciplinarian. (A real person.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s, 60s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Male
  • Mother
    30 to elderly.,
    White
    ,
    Female
    30 to elderly. Caucasian. Alice's mother. Not strong.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female
  • Minn
    20s to elderly.,
    White
    ,
    Female
    20s to elderly. Mother's younger sister. Has an adventurous spark. Fun-loving. (A real person.) (Actor also plays Alice's friend Violet, Alice's beau Harry, and Grace Mandia [Italian] unless doubling is not necessary.)
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      White
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Great Plains Theatre Conference - winner of StageWrite award
    ,
    2013

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    59E59 Theatre, NYC
    ,
    2017
  • Professional
    ,
    Looking for Lilith Theatre Company, Louisville, KY
    ,
    2013

Awards

Winner
,
StageWrite Award
,
Great Plains Theatre Conference
,
2014