When Nathan Louis Jackson wrote “Broke-ology” as a Juilliard student in 2007, he set his story in the working-class neighborhoods of Kansas City, KS, where he grew up.
The play gets its name from a term coined by the character Ennis to describe “the study of being broke.” The play follows the King family and two brothers facing a dilemma. One pursues academic dreams in environmental science while the other prepares for fatherhood. Both must decide how to care for their ailing father and honor their late mother’s legacy.
Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s revival of this acclaimed work opens Feb. 11 at the Copaken Stage in downtown KCMO and is followed by a free community tour.
The production marks a homecoming for a play that ran at New York’s Lincoln Center before returning to the streets that inspired it — a return that carries extra weight following Jackson’s untimely passing in 2023 at age 44 after years of heart issues.
Jackson served as the KC Rep’s playwright-in-residence from 2013 to 2019. He produced several acclaimed works and earned multiple honors including the Lorraine Hansberry Playwriting Award, Kennedy Center’s Gold Medallion, and the Mark Twain Comedy Playwriting Award. He also was a writer-producer on the Marvel-Netflix show “Luke Cage.”
Director Francois Battiste brings rare insight to this staging of “Broke-ology.” In 2008, he performed in the original cast, an experience that shaped his understanding of both the play and its author.
Battiste
“The play became part of walking me into manhood, along with meeting Nathan Jackson,” says Battiste. “It was a pivotal time for me as a performer, but also just as a man and having known Nathan all those years and still being close to his family, I feel a heavy obligation to tell the story as truthfully as possible.”
For this production, Battiste cast primarily local actors who understand the play’s cultural geography.
KC locals Robert E. Coppage III and Raffeal Sears portray brothers Ennis and Malcolm, while Teonna Wesley appears as their mother Sonia in pivotal flashbacks. Broadway veteran Melvin Abston plays William King, the father whose declining health forces his sons to confront difficult choices.
“To cast actors who are legitimately from Kansas City, who know all the nooks and crannies of what is being discussed in the play, grounds this story in genuineness,” says Battiste. “We have an amazing ensemble who will lift Nathan’s legacy in the right way.”
Like many KCK families, the Kings face universal challenges against a uniquely local backdrop.
Malcolm’s return home with a college degree sees him confront changes in his childhood neighborhood. Ennis’s impending fatherhood raises questions about breaking cycles of economic hardship. Their father William’s declining health pushes both brothers to examine what they owe their family versus what they owe themselves.
“Nathan was wonderful at keeping our mouths open with laughter but also shoving the truth down there,” says Battiste. “Every character on the stage has a stance that is difficult to argue with. That’s the definition of good conflict: when everyone is right.”
“It’s a love letter to Kansas City, Kansas,” Battiste says, “but it surpasses any financial or demographic boundaries because it’s a human story told very specifically through the King family.”
“He’s talking about some very humanistic elements,” Battiste notes. “There’s not one issue that these characters go through that will not resonate. Anyone will be able to relate: It will hit them in their chest, in their heart, and in their minds.”
Broke-Ology Theater-Run Showtimes
Copaken Stage
1 H&R Block Way, KCMO
Tickets $39 to $65 at KCRep.org
Feb. 11, 7 p.m. (Tue.)
Feb. 12, 7 p.m. (Wed.)
Feb. 13, 7 p.m. (Thu.)
Feb. 14, 8 p.m. (Fri.)
Feb. 15, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. (Sat.)
Feb. 16, 2 p.m. (Sun.)
Feb. 18, 7 p.m. (Tue.)
Feb. 19, 7 p.m. (Wed.)
Feb. 20, 7 p.m. (Thu.)
Feb. 21, 8 p.m. (Fri.)
Feb. 22, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. (Sat.)
Feb. 23, 2 p.m. (Sun.)
Feb. 26, 7 p.m. (Wed.)
Feb. 27, 7 p.m. (Thu.)
Feb. 28, 8 p.m. (Fri.)
March 1, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. (Sat.)
March 2, 2 p.m. (Sun.)
