Dutchman

by Imamu Amiri Baraka

Dutchman, one-act drama by Amiri Baraka, produced and published in 1964 under the playwright’s original name LeRoi Jones. Dutchman presents a stylized encounter that illustrates hatred between blacks and whites in America as well as the political and psychological conflicts facing black American men in the 1960s. The play won an Obie Award as best American Off-Broadway play of 1964; it was made into a film in 1967. Set in a New York City subway car, the play involves Clay, a young, middle-class black man who is approached seductively by Lula, a white fellow passenger. Lula provokes Clay to anger and finally murders him.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Theatre, Fiction, Classics, School, Read For School

38 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 1967

Reviews

[Grace]

I reread this for a class I'm teaching (Introduction to African American Literature). I was a little nervous to teach this play simply because it's such a controversial play written by a controversial figure. I made sure to provide context for my students regarding Baraka's views, his antisemitism, and his significance to the Black Arts movement. I also had students watch clips from the film (available for free on Youtube!). We had a pretty great discussion of the play and the film and by the end of class, students seemed less confused and more interested.

The play is DARK and GRUESOME. The characterization of Lula and Clay and their interactions are powerful and complex. Every time I read this play, I get more out of it. I'm planning on teaching it again as it remains quite relevant (and has major Get Out vibes). And the film is SO GOOD.

[Dean Oken]

david lynch should read this one

[Sansriti]

really thought provoking and shocking play - would love to see it performed!

[Raghad]

I don’t think I yet understand the full essence of this play so I will have a more comprehensive review when I do

10/13/25 update - I believe this is a very compelling though brief work by Baraka. Amiri Baraka, formerly known as LeRoi Jones, was one of the key examples and figureheads of the Black Power Movement / The Black Arts Movement. He was very much interested in this idea of creating black art for a black audience and that spoke to the black experience and celebration of one’s blackness. Dutchman was controversial for sure. The portrayal of Lula as a predatory white woman who utilizes her sexuality for her own gain with black men poses valid questions on the role white women hold in perpetuating violence against men of color. But her characterization is almost cartoonish. Her sexual aggression is all there is to her, besides her overt racism and prejudice. Clay’s harsh language towards her, and even some physical violence, forces the reader to contend with Baraka’s own misogyny potentially. Clay is also an interesting character. He’s presented as polite and interested in Lula, but ultimately is a bit uncomfortable with her assumptions on him and her propositions on his character. Despite his monologue at the very end, Clay is presented as a fundamentally vulnerable and somewhat naive character. His racial awareness and pride doesn’t really manifest until the end and it makes him appear as less cognizant and perceptive than he may actually be in essence. But the point Baraka is getting at with these two characters’ dynamic is that black people ought to maintain themselves as separate from the dominant white culture. He suggests that if black men succumb to the evils of white women’s sexuality, they will be undone and killed. He also argues broadly that assimilation or integration will ultimately lead to the undoing of black people and pushes them towards cultural separatism. Baraka’s play is controversial, just like he was. The play features antisemitic lines and misogynistic comments and homophobic suggestions, and it’s unclear whether these reflect back on Baraka or if he includes them as part of a more nuanced portrayal of human vice and hatred. Regardless, the play is exceptionally well written and has a lasting impact on the reader.

[Amanda Cerioli]

Fazia muito tempo que um texto tão curto me fazia pensar tanto. Caramba!!

[leni swagger]

shocking and raw material, a fantastic work by Baraka! Mind you, he wrote this play in one night!!

[Sami Tunji]

This play revolves around colour and class. Set in a train, it presents a dialogue between an educated black man and a white woman, a dialogue that is quite sexual, but still rooted in racial issues.

Through the dialogue, the playwright shows how the white tends to have a stereotypical image or vision of the black man. "I told you I didn't know anything about you... you're a well-known type" (1:12). This statement by Lula affirms that blacks have been mentally and visually configured, and are expected to behave in certain ways.

However, Clay, the black man in this play, seems to transcend the stereotype, and this results into a conflict with Lula, the white woman. And the conflict culminates into a tragic end.

[Gelyssa]

The ending caught me off guard. TOO GOOD. Definitely recommend!

[Justin]

There's a few interesting moments, but way too much doesn't happen for such a short play. I'm not sure what the commentary was. I thought it was going to be a sexist portrayal of a Black man sacrificing his dignity to be with a white woman. Then I thought it was maybe like a _Get Out_ thing where Lula is somehow using Clay. Then I thought it was going to be about how white people can do whatever they want but if Black people retaliate they will be punished. But ultimately none of those themes cashed out. In the end it feels like kind of lazy stock characters with a few stock lines about "race" and then a big dramatic ending that feels like mostly spectacle.

[nevaeh galluccio]

I say this about all the plays I read, but I would love to see a production of this play. I really liked the dynamic between Clay and Lula. She consistently seems invasive, both verbally and physically, and embodies an idea of unconscious white control. She has a fine time being over-the-top in front of Clay until he actually starts to push back and express his own discomfort. Clay just wants to go to his destination, yet he is commodified and targeted just based on his identity. The play, in my opinion, comments heavily on the fetishization of Black bodies that can be instantly flipped on a whim once the man starts to speak up for himself.

[Kym Smith]

rashid johnson's staging of this at the russian turkish bathhouse is one of the best things ive had the privilege to sit in in my life and rereading the script for class i actually dont know how he came up with that fucking idea but the sauna is the smartest thing he could have possibly done for it and i like need to talk with him so bad

[Ana TM]

Strange play as it is very experimental, but also fairly interesting.

[Rachel Hackett]

Read for African American literature. I like the plot twist.

[Abbie]

Somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5 - thought provoking and a good discussion piece.

[Nanette]

A seriously intense reading experience about race relations. I can't imagine how hard it would be to watch this play.

[Kelly]

read for school. What on earth did I just read

[basel]

read for class.

[jcchambers]

perhaps too based for its own good. i'd probably be more impressed if i hadn't already read zoo story.

[channel alli]

a very surreal piece; necessary commentary on American race relations in the 1960's through the lens of the Black Arts movement

[Kuba Skomorowski]

Average day on the subway

[kayla michelle pisano ✮]

holy shit

[Octavia]

I could see why people wanna perform that final monologue so bad.

[Clara🦢]

alegoría a Adam y Eva nunca falla

[Max]

I think saying that I didn’t like this will get me racist allegations, so I’ll just give this no rating at all.

Read for my English class.

[Zachary Pareizs]

It’s Clay and Lulu, not Adam and Eve.

[pauu 🫧🌷]

0.75⭐️

[Lukas]

I am a fan of Amiri Baraka and was totally unaware that he wrote plays. This play is something I would suspect him to write. I'm fascinated how it could be performed today.

[Manon Scart]

Thought provoking for sure. The story makes its point from very early on. It’s so visceral it’s almost hard to read sometimes.

[alesia]

read for class :)

[henna]

A dark one-act play which explores race, through the lens of post-colonialism. Its hard to sympathise with the two characters, but I don't think Baraka wants us to.