The Rise of Josephine Baker

Set in 1920s Paris, The Rise of Josephine Baker follows African American performer Josephine Baker as she escapes segregation-era America to become an international sensation. Arriving in Paris’ dazzling Jazz Age, she prepares for her breakthrough in La Revue Nègre, a sensational production which ignited controversy and propelled her to fame across Europe.
 

Frequently painted by French artist Paul Colin, the play examines their relationship and how his work, inspired by Cubism and Art Deco, became a vehicle for Josephine’s image to be projected across the world.
 

Marking 100 years since her iconic Banana Skirt Dance, the show revisits a performance both celebrated and contested, prompting reflections on race and desire.

Rooted in archival research from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Rise of Josephine Baker captures life at the threshold of international stardom during the era of Le Tumulte Noir - The Black Craze.
 

​With ambition, romance, and hedonism abound - Paris awaits darling…
 

Written and performed by Shani Gray, presented by Gray Stripe Productions.