Rachel: A Play in Three Acts

A Play in Three Acts centers on Rachel Loving, a young woman who lives a simple, joyful life with her mother and brother. Rachel's world is shattered when she learns that her father, absent since the family's move North, had been lynched. Years later, Rachel despairs when she discovers a young girl and the little boy she adopted are suffering from racist abuse. Bitter and disillusioned, she begins a descent into depression, wondering whether it would be a mistake to bring another child into the world.Includes an Introduction with a history of the play and the playwright.First produced in 1916, Rachel was the first play performed by African Americans to an integrated audience. Rachel was also the first "race play." It exposed a white audience to the horrific injustices imposed on African Americans. For a Black audience, it projected racial pride. More recent productions of Rachel in the United States and the U.K. prove its message is as important now as it was a century ago.