People Come to the Theatre to Feel Something Old: Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and Theatre History

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a playwright who clearly loves to read, especially on the topic of theatre history. Although his most famous play, An Octoroon, is an adaptation of a problematic melodrama by Dion Boucicault, it is not the only example of Jacobs-Jenkins mining the theatrical canon for inspiration. In this interview, Jacobs-Jenkins discusses a range of topics regarding how he turns to theatre history in his writing process, such as how he chooses historical periods, why he loves Brian Friel, and what advice he would give to young playwrights.