Tony-Nominated Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on Using Theater to Make Sense of Nonsense

Tony-Nominated Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins on Using Theater to Make Sense of Nonsense

Ten years after its original staging, “Appropriate” has received eight Tony Award nominations. Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins talks about the moments of his life that inspired it.

The play tells the story of three siblings reuniting in their family home after the death of their father. Charged with going through his belongings, the children discover troubling relics within the home. They are left to deal with the question of an inheritance, but also this new challenge to their late father’s legacy.

Jacobs-Jenkins has since staged “Appropriate” several times, been a Pulitzer Prize finalist for two subsequent plays, and been awarded a MacArthur “genius” fellowship. But it wasn’t until December 2023 that the playwright made his Broadway debut with “Appropriate,” which is now up for eight Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Play and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for actress Sarah Paulson.

Host Kai Wright sits with Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins to discuss the real-life moments that inspired the creation of this show, and the playwright’s efforts to understand the complicated inheritances of race in America.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

Episoder(424)

Voters to Democrats: Get a Spine!

Voters to Democrats: Get a Spine!

Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow and The Nation Magazine’s John Nichols explain how the Democrats can fight – and win – the culture wars. Plus, listeners weigh in with how they would like the p...

2 Mai 202250min

Kai Wright Introduces Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery

Kai Wright Introduces Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery

Kai Wright talks with WNYC colleague Nancy Solomon about her new podcast: Dead End: A New Jersey Political Murder Mystery New Jersey politics is not for the faint of heart. But the brutal killing of J...

29 Apr 20223min

They Dumped Trump for Biden. Now What?

They Dumped Trump for Biden. Now What?

Voters who switched from Trump to Biden in 2020 are headed to the polls again, and former GOP strategist Sarah Longwell wants to know what they’re thinking. Longwell is executive director of the Repub...

25 Apr 202250min

A Historian's Guide to the 2022 Midterm Elections

A Historian's Guide to the 2022 Midterm Elections

As the country confronts racial tensions and class conflicts, it begs the question: How did we get here? We look back to a moment in history when our country was struggling to become a true, multiraci...

18 Apr 202252min

The Dangerous Cycle of Fear

The Dangerous Cycle of Fear

Host Kai Wright attends a free self defense class hosted in partnership between The Alicia and Jason Lee Foundation and University Settlement, and meets the instructor. Read more about the effort’s mi...

11 Apr 202251min

The End of Institutions: Hollywood Edition

The End of Institutions: Hollywood Edition

A slap at the Oscars tarnished Will Smith’s legacy. What about him did Hollywood treasure? Is this institution just a screen for projecting our own social anxieties and cultural debate? Culture critic...

4 Apr 202251min

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Black Patriotism

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Black Patriotism

The Senate’s questioning of Ketanji Brown Jackson revealed where she might fit in the history, and future, of the Supreme Court. Host Kai Wright is joined by Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of...

28 Mar 202251min

How "Bich" Became “Beth” – An American Tale

How "Bich" Became “Beth” – An American Tale

What’s in a name? A lot. A listener's voicemail inspired us to explore the sometimes complicated relationship between our names and our racial and ethnic identities. Host Kai Wright is joined by novel...

21 Mar 202249min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

aftenpodden
giver-og-gjengen-vg
stopp-verden
popradet
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
hanna-de-heldige
fotballpodden-2
nokon-ma-ga
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
e24-podden
aftenbla-bla
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-dannet-uten-piano
bt-dokumentar-2