The Niceities

Eleanor Burgess' Powerful Examination of Race & Power

In an era of fake news, social unrest and racial inequality, New York Theatre Workshop 2050 Fellow Eleanor Burgess' The Niceties is a timely and poignant exploration of race, history and power, unflinchingly holding a mirror up to our turbulent times. The hard-hitting drama makes its New York premiere this Fall as part Manhattan Theatre Club's brand new 2018-19 season.

Helmed by Disgraced director Kimberly Senior, the thought-provoking two-hander presents a relationship between a Zoe, an ambitious black student and Janine, her highly-esteemed white professor. When Zoe is called in to see Janine to discuss her essay on slavery's effect on the American revolution, Zoe is keen to impress. But the relationship's dynamic begins to shift when talk turns from grammar to race and reputation, causing tensions to build during a dramatic confrontation between two incredibly intelligent but vastly different people.