Roger Guenveur Smith performs Basquiat tribute show

Actor and writer Roger Guenveur Smith is performing a one-man show, ‘In Honour of Jean-Michel Basquiat’, at the New York Theatre Workshop. The 60-minute production uses spoken word and live sound to explore the life of the late artist and Smith’s personal friendship with him.

The performance employs a non-linear narrative, drawing on jazz, blues, and hip-hop traditions to connect various coincidences in the lives of Basquiat and his friend, Andy Warhol. Smith highlights shared experiences, such as both artists undergoing splenectomies. The show also touches upon significant dates, including the plane crash over Staten Island near Basquiat’s birth and the fire at the Empire State Building on the day of his death.

Set with a minimalist production, the show features Smith at a microphone accompanied by live sound engineer Marc Anthony Thompson. The narrative weaves together personal reminiscences, historical events, and the legacy of Basquiat’s art, including his record-breaking auction sales.