Relativity (play)
| Relativity | |
|---|---|
Broadway Play Publishing cover art | |
| Written by | Cassandra Medley |
| Characters | Kalima Claire Malik Dan Leon Iris |
| Date premiered | May 5, 2004 |
| Place premiered | Magic Theatre (2004) Ensemble Studio Theatre (2006) Southern Rep (2007) |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Melanin theory |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | Baltimore, Maryland 2000 |
Relativity is a play by Cassandra Medley. Originally commissioned by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2000. The play had it's world premiere at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco, running from May 5th - June 20th, 2004. The play was subsequently produced Off-Broadway by the Ensemble Studio Theatre running April 26th - May 14th, 2006. The following year, the play made its southern premiere at the Southern Rep in New Orleans, Louisiana. Relativity won the 2006 August Wilson Playwriting Award.
The play follows Kalima, a young molecular geneticist at Johns Hopkins University whose research challenges her late father's notion of melanin theory, which posits that higher concentrations of melanin confer superior mental, physical, and spiritual attributes to people of color. Kalima's mother, Claire, remains a staunch advocate for her husband's work and is preparing to publish a book based on his findings. As Kalima's scientific discoveries contradict her family's legacy, she faces a profound ethical dilemma.