The Niceties

What begins with a black student and a white professor meeting to discuss a term paper regarding slavery’s impact on the American Revolution spirals into a clash of race and power in the world premiere of The Niceties. To pen her drama, Brookline-born Eleanor Burgess drew inspiration from a 2015 incident at her alma mater Yale, where an email cautioning against insensitive Halloween costumes sparked protests and debates. The playwright sets the action during the fraught spring ahead of the 2016 presidential election, and the characters soon learn that even well-meaning people can spar over their differing perspectives—igniting a wildfire that threatens to ruin lives. Join the conversation when The Niceties continues its run at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA through Oct. 6. / Nicole Rodger

Photo: Nile Hawver