Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit

In 1937, after seeing a photo depicting the lynching of a black man in the south, Bronx-born high school teacher Abel Meeropol wrote a poem entitled "Strange Fruit" that begins with the words: "Southern trees bear a strange fruit / Blood on the leaves and blood at the root." He set the poem to music and a few years later convinced Billy holiday to record it in a legendary heartbreaking performance. Intertwining jazz genealogy, biography, performance footage, and the history of lynching, director Joel Katz fashions a fascinating discovery of the lost story behind a true American classic. Written by Excerpted from Coolidge Corner Theatre Program Update

Top Cast

Dorothy Thigpen

As Self

Milton Gabler

As Self

Farah Jasmine Griffin

As Self

Pete Seeger

As Self

Ethel Rosenberg

As Self

Julius Rosenberg

As Self

Billie Holiday

As Self

Cassandra Wilson

As Self