BLACK GOLD

by Seth Rozin

Sadly, this play is timelier than ever in the age of Trump. What happens when Curtis Walker, an unemployed African American auto worker living in Detroit’s inner-city, purchases an oil rig on eBay and taps into one of America’s largest oil reserves right under his own back yard? This fast-paced, vaudevillian take on the not-too-distant future chronicles Walker’s discovery, as it precipitates a wild chain...

Sadly, this play is timelier than ever in the age of Trump. What happens when Curtis Walker, an unemployed African American auto worker living in Detroit’s inner-city, purchases an oil rig on eBay and taps into one of America’s largest oil reserves right under his own back yard? This fast-paced, vaudevillian take on the not-too-distant future chronicles Walker’s discovery, as it precipitates a wild chain reaction that throws the world into turmoil, proving just how much America’s petroleum addiction keeps world events on edge. Will the newly-tapped resource lead to violence or prosperity? Will the poor get rich? Will the rich get richer? Will America’s economy skyrocket? Will the Middle East move toward unprecedented peace or unimaginable chaos? Six actors play over 80 roles in this satire of class, race and greed in a country that will go to dangerous lengths to keep the cheap crude flowing.

"Rozin's bracing, biting script...achieves the Swiftian feat of prompting both righteous anger and bitter laughs." -- Chicago Reader

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BLACK GOLD

Recommended by

  • Cheryl Bear: BLACK GOLD

    A riveting look at what happens when you're able to tap into the resource of wealth that leads to a mind-blowing release of events and emotions. Fantastic!

    A riveting look at what happens when you're able to tap into the resource of wealth that leads to a mind-blowing release of events and emotions. Fantastic!

  • David Robson: BLACK GOLD

    This is a funny, whip-smart play that I saw at InterAct in 2008. The themes couldn't be more topical, with the haves and have-nots clashing and the many characters struggling mightily to have their way(s). The satire is razor-sharp and insightful. Laugh and think. Produce this play.

    This is a funny, whip-smart play that I saw at InterAct in 2008. The themes couldn't be more topical, with the haves and have-nots clashing and the many characters struggling mightily to have their way(s). The satire is razor-sharp and insightful. Laugh and think. Produce this play.

  • National New Play Network: BLACK GOLD

    Black Gold by Seth Rozin received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The partnering NNPN Member Theaters were InterAct Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA), Prop Thtr (Chicago, IL), and Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis, IN).

    Black Gold by Seth Rozin received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The partnering NNPN Member Theaters were InterAct Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA), Prop Thtr (Chicago, IL), and Phoenix Theatre (Indianapolis, IN).

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Development History

  • Type Reading, Organization InterAct Theatre Company, Year 2007
  • Type Reading, Organization National New Play Network Showcase of New Plays, Year 2006

Production History

  • Type Professional, Organization Arts West Playhouse, Year 2008
  • Type Professional, Organization InterAct Theatre Company, Year 2008
  • Type Professional, Organization Phoenix Theatre, Year 2008
  • Type Professional, Organization PROP Thtr, Year 2008