American Son at St Jacobs Country Playhouse

An estranged interracial couple desperately look for information about their missing teenage son when he is detained by the local police following a traffic stop incident. The worried parents' disparate histories and backgrounds collide while two officers pursue details of the missing youth. Maternal, marital, and societal tensions escalate as all four become engulfed in a battle of bias, judgment, and racial prejudice that will never be as simple as black or white. 

Winner of the prestigious Laurents/Hatcher Award and a New York Times Critics’ Pick, American Son is an explosive new drama that examines a nation’s racial divide through the eyes of parents whose worst fear hangs in the balance.

American Son follows the story of a mother, Kendra Ellis-Connor, as she searches for answers about her missing son, Jamal. The play is set in a police station waiting room at 4 a.m. where Kendra and her estranged husband, Scott Connor, engage in an intense dialogue with a pair of police officers. As the story unfolds in real time, the play delves into themes of identity, race, and the criminal justice system in America.

Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes without intermission.

Authors

• Christopher Demos-Brown