“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

They are endowed with reason and conscience and should treat one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This is what it says in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in similar words in the constitutions of numerous countries around the world.

However, the noble words are often opposed to reality, in which some people are more equal than others because the others have a different skin color or gender, have less money or education, adhere to a different world view or religion or simply don’t know.

Christian Riethmuller

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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Against this background, wanting to meet one another in the spirit of brotherhood is therefore often too great a challenge, which many evade by using the trick of primarily only being on the move in their own “bubble”.

Societies continue to fragment, until perhaps an event suddenly occurs that causes different bubbles to collide with all their differences.

The famous drama “American Son” by the American playwright and lawyer Christopher Demos-Brown tells of such an event, the German premiere of which is now being performed at the English Theater in Frankfurt.

It is a co-production with the Californian Ensemble Theater Company of Santa Barbara and is directed by Jonathan Fox, who has also directed at the English Theater a number of times in recent years, not least emphasizing his work with the actors.

This time Fox has a very excellent ensemble at hand, which with its haunting play emphasizes the explosiveness and topicality of the material, which ostensibly addresses police violence and racism, but actually penetrates much deeper and questions of identity, life plans and attitudes as well as prejudices - own and strangers – touched.

In near real time, you can follow the trepidation of Kendra Ellis-Connor (Tracey A. Leigh), who went to a Miami police station in the middle of the night because her son Jamal suddenly disappeared and didn't respond to a call or text.

At the police station, Kendra has to deal with the young, inexperienced officer Paul Larkin (Toby Tropper), who feels a bit harassed by the concerned and resolute black woman, who also turns out to be a psychology professor, but also remains friendly and therefore sincerely hopes that his previously unknown superior will turn up soon.

A clever and important piece

When a white man stormed the station a short time later, Larkin thought he had this superior in front of him.

He reports quite frankly about his difficult situation and also gives details that have been withheld until now, not suspecting that he would report it to a police officer but not to his superior.

The man is Scott Connor (Jamison Jones), FBI agent, Kendra's estranged husband and Jamal's father.

The parents had dreamed of the perfect future for their son, sending him to expensive private schools where he always attracted attention not because of his good grades but because he was a colored child.

Now, to top it all off, he was to move into the quintessential white cadre school, the West Point Military Academy.

But Jamal must have changed, as can be seen from the dialogues between the spouses, who sometimes turn to each other and then argue again.

He must have rebelled in his own way against parents' expectations, let his hair grow, swapped his school uniform for the street uniform and, most importantly, put a misleading sticker on the car he received as a graduation present.

"Shoot Cops" should be read on it, which does not mean shooting down police officers, but filming them if they do not behave in accordance with the law.

Because of this sticker, Jamal and two friends were stopped by the police, Lieutenant John Stokes (Alex A. Morris) informs the waiting parents.

"American Son" will be performed at the English Theater Frankfurt, Gallusanlage 7, until June 3rd.

Performances Tuesday to Saturday from 7.30 p.m., Sunday from 6 p.m.