W&L’s Lenfest Center Opens 2026-2027 Season with ‘In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat’ Roger Guenveur Smith will perform his one-man show, a tribute to his friendship with Basquiat, on Sept. 28.

The Lenfest Center for the Arts
September 11, 2026

Editor’s note: The following release was written by McKinley Owczarski ’29 for W&L’s Lenfest Center for the Arts.

Washington and Lee University’s Lenfest Center for the Arts presents “In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat,” a solo theatrical performance created and performed by Obie Award-winning actor and playwright Roger Guenveur Smith, at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Keller Theatre.

Tickets are required and available online or in person at the Lenfest Box Office. The performance is supplemented by the Lenfest Center’s free screening of the 1996 film “BASQUIAT” at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15 in Stackhouse Theater in Elrod Commons.

The performance kicks off the Lenfest Center’s 2026-27 season, “Your Gateway to Global Experiences.” In exploring Smith’s friendship with the legendary artist, the performance weaves personal stories and historical narratives with spontaneous moments that bring Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life and legacy to the stage.

The production blends live sound design by Obie Award-winning composer Marc Anthony Thompson with a hypnotic monologue to create a deeply intimate lyrical elegy rather than a traditional historical biography. This marks Thompson’s 18th musical piece with Smith. The pre-show music is from Basquiat’s musical collection.

Smith, who is best known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee, first became acquainted with Basquiat in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Over the years, their work influenced each other, with Basquiat incorporating words and ideas from Smith’s political pieces into his writing. In turn, Smith’s character Smiley — in Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing” — was inspired by Basquiat’s spirit and character. While Smith was developing this character, Basquiat tragically died at the age of 27. Almost four decades later, this friendship sparked the beautifully intimate, raw and resonant performance that Smith brings to the Lenfest stage.

Basquiat, an American artist with Haitian and Puerto Rican roots, is often hailed as one of the most influential American artists and widely considered to be the creator of the neo-expressionism movement. His work revolved around “suggestive dichotomies,” such as wealth and poverty and integration and segregation. Basquiat’s brief but intense life is portrayed on stage by Smith through an emotionally charged performance that moves seamlessly between love, admiration, reflection and, most notably, anger delivered in emotionally raw, hushed tones.

Reflecting on the production, which is currently running off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop, theater critic Arthur Dorman praised the “beauty and strength embedded in Smith’s text and delivery” and the “stirring integration of words, gesture, sound and light to create a coherent whole, itself a work of art.” Talkin’ Broadway called the performance a “beautiful piece of stagecraft that transmits a hero’s journey to our eyes, our ears and our hearts.”

In addition to his Sept. 28 performance, Smith will meet with students taking Art Since 1945, taught by Elliott King, professor of art history, for a special masterclass, providing students a unique opportunity to engage directly with Smith and learn more about his personal connection to Basquiat, as well as the artistic and cultural legacy of Basquiat’s work.

Order your tickets online today or call the Lenfest Center box office at 540-458-8000 for ticket information. Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for W&L faculty and staff; W&L students receive free tickets by showing their student identification.

This performance is presented in association with Luna Entertainment and is sponsored in part by the Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund.

For a full list of performances, visit the Lenfest Center’s website.