The word “genius” is used often in the vocabulary of our society. It is very rare that people can actually be in the presence of a true genius. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2016 at the age of 31. In the same year, his play was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. On Tuesday, October 16th, the Macaulay Seminar class had the opportunity to come and watch Branden Jacobs-Jenkins present his work to a small audience in The Rosalyn and Irwin Engelman Recital Hall at Baruch College.
The excerpt from, Gloria, the Pulitzer Finalist, was a scene that took place after a tragedy in Act I. The main characters all worked in a Magazine Company and one day a distressed employee decided to take the lives of her coworkers. The scene that Jacobs-Jenkins chose to present to the audience was Act II. In this scene, two survivors of the incident meet in a coffee shop to discuss their lives several months after the tragedy. The male character was in the building during the situation, while the female character was out getting coffee during her break. The two former coworkers engaged in casual conversation, until the conversation shifted to a more depressing and serious tone. The coworkers were both writers and were both trying to make a career out of the tragedy by writing books. The general argument between the two individuals started because they both believed that the other was not worthy enough to write about the situation. This scene escalated and ended with the male character hitting the female character in the middle of the coffee shop. This excerpt sparked major interest in the whole play for me and it also showed the artistic genius of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
The actors did an exceptional job playing their roles, but the true originator of this act was the playwright. This scene was brought to life by the actors, however, this would not be possible if it did not originate in the playwright’s imagination. The development of dialogue and emotional cues all come from Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. This form of art is especially brilliant because there is no team behind Jenkins. Unlike artists who sculpt and paint large artworks, this artist just has a pen, paper, and the ideas in his mind. This playwright deserves the label of Genius because the way he employs real social issues (such as mental health, gun control, etc.) to tell a story is brilliant. This one scene from, Gloria, sparked a major interest in the audience and a desire to see more.
I never understood how someone can be labeled a genius at such an early age. I believed a genius develops over time and the label of “genius” can only be embraced at an older age. The excerpts from various plays, truly showed that a genius does not have to be a legend, they can be an ordinary creative individual standing a few feet from you on a small stage in your college. A genius is not defined by age or quantity of work, they are defined by the superiority of their respective art at any point in their lifetime. Branden Jacobs Jenkins’ work gave the class an opportunity to embrace this true definition of the word “genius”.
The image is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins talking with Phillip Howze, another professor and playwright. This is not my photograph, it was provided in the blog by a classmate. 
