Why is there a play about Benjamin Lay?
Abstract
This presentation discusses the article by Barker entitled "Human Histories Onstage: A Conversation with Naomi Wallace and Marcus Rediker," which was published by the Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism in the Fall of 2019.
Notes
In this presentation based on an article, it discusses an interview with the playwright Naomi Wallace and the historian Marcus Rediker, and examines the ideological and aesthetic motivations shared between the two writers and how Marxist humanism guides a new co-writing project titled "The Return of Benjamin Lay." After describing Benjamin's life and abolitionist activism, an explanation of the two writers' continued collaboration and shared dramaturgy shows how both writers find Benjamin a worthy subject to adapt for the stage.