Smart People

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Smart People

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  2w, 2m

"...a sexy, serious, and very, very funny modern-day comedy of manners." - Variety

Image: 2016 Second Stage Theater Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Docudrama/History
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
It is the eve of Obama's first election. Four of Harvard University's brightest; a surgeon, an actress, a psychologist, and a neuro-psychiatrist, are all interested in different aspects of the brain, particularly how it responds to race. But like all smart people, they are also searching for love, success, and identity in their own lives. Lydia Diamond brings these characters together in this sharp, witty play about social and sexual politics.
History

Smart People premiered at the Huntington Theatre in Boston in May of 2014 under the direction of Peter DuBois.

VALERIE JOHNSTON - 24, African American.  Recently graduated A.R.T.  Acting MFA.
JACKSON MOORE - 28, African American.  Harvard Med School.  Surgical Intern on Rotation.
BRIAN WHITE - 36-42, White. Tenured professor at Harvard. Neuro-psychiatrist. Studies patterns of racial identity and perceptions. 
GINNY YOUNG - 34-40, Chinese-Japanese American.  No accent.  Only speaks English.  Respected tenured professor of psychology at Harvard. Studies race and identity among Asian American women.
  • Time Period New Millennium/21st Century
  • Setting 2007-2009. Cambridge, MA.  Various locations. 
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

REVIEWS 

"...a sexy, serious, and very, very funny modern-day comedy of manners." - Variety, Read More 

"...crisp and clever dialogue...Smart People is very funny because it reflects a very sympathetic human foible; the desire to resolve our racial conflicts without messing things up every time we open our mouths." - Broadwayworld.com, Read More 

"Smart People is a great ride; I loved every talky minute of it." - Deadline, Read More 

"Splendid! Diamond...draw[s] laughs even as she firmly pushes back against the notion that we’re living in a 'post-racial society.'" - Boston Globe, Read More 

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Photos

  • Smart People

    Image: 2016 Second Stage Theater Production (Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Lydia R. Diamond

Lydia R. Diamond’s award-winning plays include: Smart People, Stick Fly, Voyeurs de Venus, The Bluest Eye, The Gift Horse, Harriet Jacobs, The Inside and Stage Black. Theatres include: Arena Stage, Cort Theatre (Broadway), Chicago Dramatists, Company One, Congo Square, Goodma ...

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