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Lupita Nyong'o And The All-Black, All-Female 'Eclipsed' Make Broadway History

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This article is more than 8 years old.

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o is set to change the Broadway game with her upcoming show Eclipsed. The production is the first in Broadway history to feature a cast and creative team that is not only all-female, but all-black, and led by Broadway's only two black lead producers. It caps a season that seems almost deliberately curated in response to last year's Tony awards, which suffered from the Broadway version of #OscarsSoWhite.

Leading the charge are producing duo Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey, backed by a coalition of other noteworthy people of color in the entertainment world. Their Broadway track record so far  is roughly in line with Broadway's statistics: only one of four shows they've produced has recouped its cost. But they've made a name for themselves by sticking to their guns, mounting "colorblind" versions of classic (white) stories, like Streetcar Named Desire and Romeo And Juliet.

Directed by Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed is different in many ways. It's an original play, written by a black woman (Danai Gurira, whom fans may recognize from The Walking Dead) about black women during the Liberian civil war. The material is brutal and unflinching, examining war crimes and rape in graphic detail. No light breaks through any window here, yonder or otherwise.

Yet it has a better chance of making money than any of Bryd and Jones-Harvey's past shows. It had a lauded, sold-out run at The Public, stars one of Hollywood's starriest young talents, and unlike their colorblind projects, is wholly black, both in conception and execution. Some could see this as a risk, but the statistics give it an edge. Black plays fare better than black musicals overall, and black stories better than re-appropriated white ones [for a more extensive look at the racial economics of Broadway, click here for earlier Forbes coverage].

This is not to mention the sheer historical significance of an all-black, all-female team. Like Hollywood, Broadway moves slowly as it adapts to new trends, even as it plays a significant role in setting them. Productions like Eclipsed  are important markers of social change. For a predominantly white industry to embrace this kind of work is a major step toward a clearer future.

I was lucky enough to see Nyong'o's Yale graduation showcase, and remember her as a standout even then, performing a scene from Eclipsed.  The play has been with her for years, and in some ways launched her career. She is now returning the favor as the driving force behind its run at The Public, and the Broadway transfer which would not have happened without her star power.

The announcement is also noteworthy as it highlights Broadway's parallel gender imbalance. The divide between female and male playwrights is stark, which is why Fun Home's Tony win made such history. From the disparity between female and male Pulitzer winners to Manhattan Theater Club's all-white, all-male season, the industry has been painfully coming to terms with its lopsided roots. With both Waitress (which also boasts an all-female creative team) and Eclipsed on the horizon, Broadway is set to finally cross the boundaries against which it has long been pushing.

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