Funnyhouse of a Negro (Masterplots II: Drama, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Adrienne Kennedy
- First Published: 1969
- Type of Plot: Surrealist
- Time of Work: The 1960’s
- Setting: An apartment in New York City
- Principal Characters: Negro-Sarah, Duchess of Hapsburg, Queen Victoria Regina, Jesus, Patrice Lumumba, Sarah’s Landlady, Raymond, The Mother
- Genres: Drama, Surrealist literature, Women’s literature
- Subjects: African Americans, 1960’s, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Racism, New York City, Prejudices or antipathies, Oppression, Fratricide, parricide, or filicide, Imagination
- Locales: New York, NY
The Play
Funnyhouse of a Negro is a highly stylized theatrical piece. The setting of the play is the Negro-Sarah’s room. The space is dominated by dusty books, photographs, and relics. The other locales—the queen’s chamber, Raymond’s room, and the jungle—are all part of Sarah’s nightmare/fantasy. These are suggested environments, spaces created by lighting. The characters all represent facets of the Negro-Sarah’s fantasies.
Funnyhouse of a Negro begins with the stage in darkness. In front of a closed white curtain, a woman crosses the stage....
[The entire page is 2832 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
