Her plays often use surrealism as an element to explore the American experience from a non-white perspective, drawing on symbolism, mythical and historical figures, and themes of race, violence, and family to create her works.
[2] Specifically, Black Children's Day draws on elements of Metatheatre and surrealism to explore non-realistic characters in a chaotic sense.
"[5] The play takes place on a Sunday in June, during World War II, in an unspecified New England town.
In the annex is a screen showing a sort film titled, "History of Walker Smith House", and several folding chairs, a small stage, and a World War II aircraft exhibit are present.
The small stage in the annex, the area of folding chairs, and the carriage room are the main set pieces for the play.
The notes for the various set pieces are somewhat cryptic, and are listed below: The panels are realistic representations of what is happening on stage.
The short one-act opens with The Children reciting a fragmented poem about the state of World War II.
This poetic passage is repeated throughout the play, and mentions Adolf Hitler, The Third Reich, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin.
The play transitions yet again to Roy as an Editor, who states that he formed the Free African Society, and will lead a group of Negroes to Liberia.
Some Children reenact an Indian battle, while others continue to draw the sailing ship and The General's death on the murals.
However, in 1995, a Village Voice critic, Michael Feingold, wrote, "with Beckett gone, Adrienne Kennedy is probably the boldest artist now writing for the theater.
"[10] Racism, violence (specifically towards children), surrealism to depict reality, rights for African Americans, slavery.
Many themes can be drawn from Black Children's Day, as Kennedy's allegorical representation of the memory of childhood deals with multiple issues at once.
Kennedy spent most of her young life in Cleveland, though she wasn't exposed to racial prejudice until her college years at Ohio State University.