About Charles Smith
Charles Smith’s plays have been produced off-Broadway and from coast to coast by theaters such as Indiana Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Victory Gardens Theater, New Federal Theatre, Shakespeare & Company, The Acting Company, People’s Lights & Theatre Company, Penumbra, Crossroads Theatre Company, Penguin Repertory, Ujima Theatre Company, The Colony Theatre, St. Louis Black Rep, Seattle Rep, Jubilee Theatre, Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Berkeley Rep, The Robey Theatre Company, and Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland.
Many of his plays use historical contexts to explore contemporary issues of race, identity, and politics in America. His work spans a gamut from contemporary investigations of historic icons such as W.E.B. Dubois, Marcus Garvey, and Alexandre Dumas to a Liberian refugee fleeing the Liberian civil war.
Featured Work
The Reclamation of Madison Hemings
It’s 1866, and the Civil War has ended. Madison Hemings, son of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, and Israel Jefferson, formerly enslaved footman, return to Monticello in search of Israel’s long-lost brother. Together, they must face their conflicting feelings about the man who wrote “All men are created equal.” Slavery has been abolished, but what really has changed? From what personal bonds do we need to break free? And where do we need to hold on tight? Don’t miss this gripping world premiere about history, family, and hard truths.
The Reclamation of Madison Hemings was commissioned by Goodman Theatre in Chicago. The Goodman Theatre workshop was directed by Ron OJ Parson and featured Stephen McKinkey Henderson as Israel Jefferson and John Cothran Jr. as Madison Hemings.
The Reclamation of Madison Hemings received its world premiere production at Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis in 2022. The production was directed by Ron OJ Parson and featured David Alan Anderson as Israel Jefferson and Brian Anthony Wilson as Madison Hemings.
The Reclamation of Madison Hemings was produced in Chicago by American Blues Theater in 2024. The production was directed by Chuck Smith and featured Jon Hudson Odom as Madison Hemings and Manny Buckley as Israel Jefferson.
The Reclamation of Madison Hemings is available through Dramatic Publishing