Rachel
One of the forebears of the Harlem Renaissance, Angelina Weld Grimké wrote “Rachel” in 1916 as a defiant reply to the recent release of DW Griffith’s film “Birth of a Nation”. Originally titled “Blessed are the Barren”, the play centers on a Black woman who rejects marriage and motherhood after learning a horrible family secret. It was first produced in Washington, DC by the NAACP, and published in 1920.
Baltimore playwright Aladrian C. Wetzel’s new adaptation is her second commissioned play for Rapid Lemon Productions, after 2019’s acclaimed “Thank You, Dad”.