Topdog/Underdog
Written By Suzan-Lori Parks
WARNING: This show contains strong language and sexual references.
A gripping and darkly comic drama, Topdog/Underdog is a powerful exploration of family, identity, and survival. Written by acclaimed playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, the play follows two African American brothers—Lincoln and Booth—bound together by love, resentment, and a troubled past. Abandoned by their parents as teenagers, the brothers grapple with poverty, personal demons, and the enduring wounds of betrayal.
Lincoln, the elder, has left behind a hustler’s life and now works as an Abraham Lincoln impersonator at an arcade. Booth, the younger, is eager to master the street card hustle that once defined his brother’s life. As tensions mount and secrets are revealed, the play builds toward a shocking climax that asks: What does it take to rise above the roles society—and family—assigns us?
With razor-sharp dialogue and raw emotional intensity, Topdog/Underdog is a masterful examination of brotherhood, masculinity, race, and the illusion of the American Dream.
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