The life, artistry and enduring cultural influence of celebrated Haitian-American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat will take centre stage at New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) this fall with the return of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a solo theatrical work created and performed by Obie Award-winning actor, playwright and director Roger Guenveur Smith.
The production is scheduled to run from September 9 through October 4, 2026, following a sold-out presentation during the 2026 Under the Radar Festival. Smith, who was a friend and collaborator of Basquiat, offers an intimate theatrical portrait that explores the artist’s life, creative force and influence on Black culture and the New York art scene.
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Basquiat and Smith first met in Los Angeles during the 1980s, when Basquiat was creating art in a Venice studio and Smith was performing on the city’s club scene as the rapper “Hollywatts.” Their relationship eventually influenced Smith’s work, including his creation of the Basquiat-inspired character Smiley in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.
The production is not presented as a conventional biography. Instead, Smith uses storytelling, performance and sound to revisit his personal connection with Basquiat while examining the artist’s remarkable rise and the social forces surrounding his work. Live sound design is provided by Marc Anthony Thompson, a longtime collaborator of Smith.
Basquiat, who was born in Brooklyn to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, became one of the most influential artists to emerge from New York’s downtown art scene in the 1980s. His distinctive visual language, which incorporated words, symbols, figures and references to race, history, politics and popular culture, helped establish him as a major voice in contemporary art before his death in 1988 at age 27.
NYTW Artistic Director Patricia McGregor described the production as an exploration of “Black genius in America,” with the theatre viewing the return of the performance as a fitting opening to its 2026-27 season.
The theatre is also expanding the production beyond the stage with a series of community programmes designed to encourage audiences to engage more deeply with Basquiat’s life and legacy. Among them is a guided Basquiat Walking Tour exploring downtown New York locations associated with the artist, along with post-show discussions, salons and community events.
Saturday Salons are scheduled following selected performances, while additional events will include panel discussions, a Basquiat-themed evening featuring a live DJ and opportunities for audiences to discuss the production with artists, scholars and other guests.
The presentation also carries particular significance because of its connection to the neighbourhoods that shaped Basquiat’s artistic journey. NYTW’s production materials describe the work as a return to a city and cultural environment that played a central role in the artist’s development and eventual international recognition.
Performances will take place at New York Theatre Workshop, with tickets for the production starting at $25. The theatre is also offering several special events throughout the run, giving audiences opportunities to experience Basquiat’s legacy through theatre, music, conversation and community engagement.
Through Smith’s personal perspective, In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat seeks to move beyond the familiar image of Basquiat as a young art-world phenomenon. Instead, the production invites audiences to consider the person behind the paintings and the lasting significance of an artist whose work continues to influence conversations about race, identity, creativity and power decades after his death.
