Br'er Cotton

A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Br'er Cotton

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  2w, 3m

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

A militant teenager grapples with politics and older relatives in Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm’s profound, devastating and very funny play.

Image: 2018 Theatre503 Production (Tristram Kenton)

Br'er Cotton

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

Please note: Concord Theatricals proudly licenses BR'ER COTTON in many countries around the globe. In the UK, the amateur rights are licensed by Nick Hern Books.

Lynchburg, Virginia. The former site of a thriving cotton mill is now an impoverished neighborhood. Deeply affected by all the recent killings of young black men like himself, Ruffrino, a 14-year-old militant, incites riots at school and online. As Ruffrino grows more and more at odds with his mother and grandfather, his anger builds beyond containment. Meanwhile, the family home literally sinks into the cotton field, and no one but Ruffrino seems to notice.

History
Br’er Cotton made its world premiere as part of National New Play Network’s Rolling World Premiere initiative, opening in three NNPN Member Theaters in 2017: Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, Texas (June 9), Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble in Los Angeles, California (September 23) and Cleveland Public Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio (March 29). The play made its London premiere at Theatre 503 on March 7, 2018.
Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
RUFFRINO / SON – 14, M, Black
NADINE / MOTHER – Early 30's, F, Black
MATTHEW / GRANDFATHER – 60's, M, Black
CAGED_BIRD99 – 14, F, White
OFFICER – Mid 30's, M, White
REDNECK_SWAG – Disembodied white voice
  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“An important play, and a great one, that will leave audiences thinking for a long time.” – The Guardian

“Powerful... Chisholm’s writing is light and naturalistic when it needs to be, but also shot through with knotty and impassioned poetry.” – TimeOut London

“The script is bold, brave and very, very funny, as well as feeling impressively fast-paced for a production that runs for two hours and 15 minutes.” – The Guardian

“Extraordinary... an intricate consideration of the complexities of present-tense race relations.” – WhatsOnStage

"Painful and highly personal... But it’s funny, too. Laugh-out-loud funny. The writing doesn’t shy away from life’s absurdity and ironies.” – Exeunt Magazine

Photos

  • Br'er Cotton

    Image: 2018 Theatre503 Production (Tristram Kenton)

Licensing & Materials

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

Scripts

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Authors

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm

Tearrance Arvelle Chisholm most recently presented his play Black Dick at the 2019 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and premiered P.Y.G. at Studio Theater as both playwright and director; the play has previously been developed at the Magic Theater’s Virgin Play Festiva ...

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