The American Place Theatre

A classic from the moment it first appeared in 1952, Invisible Man chronicles the travels of its narrator, a young, nameless black man, as he moves through the hellish levels of American intolerance and cultural blindness. Searching for a context in which to know himself, he exists in a very peculiar state. "I am an invisible man," he says in his prologue. "When they approach me they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination--indeed, everything and anything except me." Invisible Man is more than just a book about race, it is also a book about humanity stumbling down the path to identity.

In this Invisible Man Classics Event we explore the concept of invisibility and identity and take the students on an extraordinary journey of self-discovery.  Included is a dynamic excerpt from the text that propels the action forward and reveals the philosophical underpinnings of Ellison’s masterpiece.

On a bare stage the solo voice rings out as he enters clutching his briefcase that contains all of his writings and his conflicted understanding of the human spirit, “I denounce I defend and I hate and I love.”

The students will get an opportunity to meet and interact with Ralph Ellison the author of Invisible Man as they witness him accepting the 1953 National Book Award. They will participate in interactive educational theatre exercises that explore social status and will help students make discoveries about themselves and each other.