Content warning: sexual violence
“The Bluest Eye,” commissioned by Aurora Theatre Company, is an audio drama adaptation of Toni Morrison’s 1970 novel of the same name. Adapted for the stage by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by Dawn Monique Williams, “The Bluest Eye” is a unique and spellbinding take on the novel’s themes of Black girlhood, family and trauma.
Unlike the novel, the audio drama has a multitude of narrators who each speak to their own experiences and the experiences of others. This artistic choice, made by Diamond, sets the audio drama apart from other adaptations, as it delivers a variety of complex perspectives and captivating voices. In an interview with the Daily Californian, Williams explained the significance of this narrative approach as a way of giving depth to the plot and to characters.