American Son

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

American Son

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  1w, 3m

An estranged biracial couple must confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by the local police following a traffic stop incident.

Image: 2018 Broadway Production (Peter Cunningham)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
An estranged biracial couple must confront their feelings about race and bias after their son is detained by the local police following a traffic stop incident. Their disparate histories and backgrounds inform their assumptions as they try to find out what happened to their son.
History
American Son premiered on Broadway at the Booth Theatre on November 4, 2018. Directed by Kenny Leon, the production featured Kerry Washington, Steven Pasquale, Jeremy Jordan and Eugene Lee.
Cast Attributes

KENDRA ELLIS-CONNOR – African-American, female, forties to early fifties. A professor of psychology and the mother of a teenage son. Recently separated from her White husband. Emotionally raw but trying to keep it together behind a professional façade. Exceptionally intelligent and self-possessed.
SCOTT CONNOR – White, male, late forties to fifties. Kendra’s estranged husband. An FBI agent of predominantly Irish ancestry. Takes pride in his family’s long tradition of military service. Though rigid in his views, he has a warm, sensitive side and is a deeply loving and devoted father.
OFFICER PAUL LARKIN – White, male, mid-twenties to thirty. An intelligent, congenial young police officer with bold career ambitions who lacks actual life experience.
LIEUTENANT JOHN STOKES – African-American, male, fifty to mid-sixties. A tough, no-nonsense career police officer who is used to having people listen when he talks. He has paid his dues. He knows the rules and has no hesitation enforcing them.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting A police station in Miami, Florida. June, shortly after 4:00 AM.
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 90 minutes

Media

“Unrelentingly high tension on every level.” – The New York Times

“This play elicits gasps from the audience.” – NY1

“Playwright Demos-Brown is a clever phrase-maker, and he delights in using language that vividly illustrates the social and educational gulf.” – Variety

“With its unrelentingly high tension on every level – maternal, marital, societal – it’s more like a slice of a nightmare.” – The New York Times

Photos

  • American Son

    Image: 2018 Broadway Production (Peter Cunningham)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Christopher Demos-Brown

Christopher Demos-Brown has written over a dozen full-length plays and screenplays. His honors include the Laurents/Hatcher Award, a Steinberg Citation from The American Theatre Critics Association, and multiple regional theatre awards (including two Carbonell Awards, multip ...
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