Appropriate and Other Plays: Reflections on Shakespeare

"The deftly crafted blend of shocking exaggeration and believability, politeness and fury...makes Appropriate land with th ekind of thump you rarely encounter in the theater."—Chicago Tribune
"So energetic, funny, and entertainingly demented, you can't look away."—New York on An Octoroon
"Messy, bold, desperately funny, and deeply felt: Neighbors is worth getting to know."—Los Angeles Times

With deft attention to familial dynamics and a tense undercurrent of socio-political realities, Appropriate harkens the likes of Tracy Letts or Sam Shepard, but with Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's unique flair for melodrama and touch of the absurd.
Themes of history and racial politics permeate much of this young playwright's astounding work. This collection also includes the acclaimed play An Octoroon, a bombastic theatrical investigation of theater and identity, wherin an old play gives way to a startlingly contemporary piece. The third play, Neighbors, uses old minstrelsy tropes to challenge what makes contemporary society comfortable, and asserts pointedly that it shouldn't be.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's plays include An Octoroon, Neighbors, Appropriate, Gloria, and War. He is a playwright-in-residence at Signature Theatre. Recent honors include a 2014 Obie Award for Best New American Play (An Octoroon and Appropriate).