The Black Clown

Philadelphia Premiere
An adaptation of the Langston Hughes poem by the same name
Co-created by Davóne Tines, Michael Schachter, and Zack Winokur
Composed by Michael Schachter
Directed by Zack Winokur
Choreographed by Chanel DaSilva
Music Supervision by Davóne Tines
Music Direction by Abdul Hamid Royal
Additional arrangements by Jaret Landon and Ensemble
Produced by ArKtype
Performed in English

Creator and opera revolutionary Davóne Tines brings Langston Hughes’ poem “The Black Clown” to musical life in a vaudevillian rendering of this masterpiece. Fusing gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals into a searing night of theatrical brilliance, The Black Clown embodies the evolving, divided soul of Black America and animates a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression. The Black Clown has been hailed as “pure poetry” by The Boston Globe, and The New York Times lauds “this rich, seamless production melds the past and present of African-American history into an electrifyingly ambivalent whole.” Tines makes his Opera Philadelphia debut alongside an ensemble of 12 performers in this genre-bending, visually arresting piece, juxtaposing dazzling cathartic performances with Hughes’ enduring work.

This production contains racial slurs and stylized representations of violence, particularly related to slavery, as well as haze, simulated smoking, and bright flashing lights. 

All tickets are Pick Your Price, starting at $11. Any amount above $11 helps support other operagoers and the work we present on stage.