The Nigger

About the show

The Nigger is a play by American playwright Edward Sheldon (1886–1946). It explores the relationship between blacks and whites in the melodrama of a politician faced with a sudden, personal dilemma. The play was first performed on Broadway in New York City at the New Theatre on December 4, 1909. The play was adapted to a novel, and a film adaptation, directed by Edgar Lewis and starring William Farnum, was made in 1915. Because the title was controversial, the film was released in some markets as The Governor or The New Governor.