Performance In Jean Genet's The Blacks

On 04/05/1961, Maya Angelou performed in the American premiere of Jean Genet’s play The Blacks: A Clown Show at St. Marks Playhouse in New York City. The production introduced Genet’s work to U.S. audiences and featured an ensemble cast of Black actors. Angelou appeared alongside performers including James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Godfrey Cambridge. Directed by Gene Frankel, the play opened Off Broadway and gained attention for its experimental structure and commentary on race, identity, and power. The Blacks used symbolic staging and role reversal to explore racial dynamics, with actors portraying layered characters within a theatrical performance inside the play. The production became notable for its long Off Broadway run and for bringing together a group of emerging performers who later achieved prominence. Angelou’s participation reflected her active involvement in theater during the early 1960s, when she was balancing performance work with writing and activism. Her role in the 1961 production added to her stage experience prior to her later transition into journalism and autobiographical writing.