Adrienne Kennedy Biography (1931–)
American playwright Adrienne Kennedy has influenced the theater with complex, at times surrealist, work that centers Black women.
Who Is Adrienne Kennedy?
Playwright Adrienne Kennedy first gained attention with Funnyhouse of a Negro, which was produced off-Broadway in 1964. Kennedy's plays usually do not rely on straightforward narratives, but rather utilize symbolism and dreamlike conditions to convey messages about racism, s*xism, colonialism and other destructive forces. They have also incorporated her own personal history and featured Black women as protagonists. In November 2021, it was announced that Kennedy's 1990 play Ohio State Murders would appear on Broadway, which would be her Broadway debut.
Early Years and Education
Adrienne Kennedy was born as Adrienne Lita Hawkins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 13, 1931, to Cornell Wallace, a social worker, and Etta, a teacher. Kennedy grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. During the summers, she and her brother would visit their parents' hometown of Montezuma, Georgia. Going to Georgia meant traveling in segregated trains and living in the Jim Crow South. On a few occasions she met her white maternal grandfather, who owned the peach orchard where her then-15-year-old maternal grandmother had worked.
Kennedy studied elementary education at Ohio State University. Attending the school meant being surrounded by white students and experiencing discrimination, but she persevered and received her bachelor's degree in 1953.
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Posted By: Dea. Ron Gray Sr.
Thursday, March 10th 2022 at 7:06PM
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