Keene by Anchuli Felicia King

It’s love at first sight for Kai, a Japanese musicologist, when she spies Tyler, the only student of color in his PhD cohort, at a Shakespeare conference. Each night, while Tyler dreams he is the subject of his thesis: Ira Aldridge, the first black man to play Othello, Kai dreams of Tyler. As dreams start to merge with reality, Tyler and Kai are brought closer together. Yet Tyler, like Ira before him, can not...
It’s love at first sight for Kai, a Japanese musicologist, when she spies Tyler, the only student of color in his PhD cohort, at a Shakespeare conference. Each night, while Tyler dreams he is the subject of his thesis: Ira Aldridge, the first black man to play Othello, Kai dreams of Tyler. As dreams start to merge with reality, Tyler and Kai are brought closer together. Yet Tyler, like Ira before him, can not perceive the inevitable betrayal of his closest ally. A heartfelt ode to always being the second-class genius of color, Keene is a playful riff on early-career academia, Shakespeare’s Othello, and the power of American pop. Winner of the second year of Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries (SNC), Keene will receive its world premiere production at American Shakespeare Center in 2020.
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Keene

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  • Monica Cross:
    22 Oct. 2020
    “ I found KEENE to be absolutely riveting! Anchuli Felicia King explodes the framework an academic Shakespeare conference, giving us an inside look at what it means to be an outsider in academia. The main characters are confronted with casual racism and intellectual elitism, as they try to navigate careers, relationships, and paper presentations.

    I had the opportunity to see a virtual performance of KEENE presented in partnership between the American Shakespeare Center and Red Bull Theatre. The words and music of this play take you through a three day roller coaster of emotions in a tight two hours! ”
  • American Shakespeare Center:
    14 Mar. 2020
    “ Keene was selected as a Shakespeare’s New Contemporaries winner and will receive its world premeire at the American Shakespeare Center in October 2020, produced in repertory with Shakespeare’s Othello. It is our pleasure to strongly recommend this play. King skillfully weaves together contemporary academia, 19th century theatrical practices, and the legacy of Shakespeare’s Othello. Funny, probing, sincere, and satirical, the play celebrates geniuses of color and exposes the challenges they face. The love story at the play’s core immediately draws in audiences of all backgrounds. ”