US plays get to the root of racism

Originally published in Cue.

Race is a topic that is never far from the national consciousness of a country like South Africa, but two plays from the United States at this year’s Festival make a powerful statement about the racism present in the “land of the free”.

Blood at the Root is based on events in Jena, Louisiana, in 2007 when six black high school students were charged with attempted murder for a schoolyard fight after nooses were hung from a tree in the school courtyard.

The other production, Roots,  Rhythm and Revolution, deals with the playwright’s need to explore her African roots and the origin of her ancestors.