“Thurgood” comes to the Geffen Playhouse

Thurgood Marshall was a towering figure in American jurisprudence, the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court. He was born in Baltimore as the son of a railway porter and steward at a whites-only country club, and grandson of a slave. Despite having graduated with honors from Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University, Marshall initially was rejected on racial grounds from entering the University of Maryland Law School. He enrolled instead at Howard University Law School, graduating first in his class in 1933. A brilliant legal career soon followed, beginning with a short stint in private practice before Marshall joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as a staff lawyer, quickly rising by 1940 to head up the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He went on to win 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the Supreme Court, including the landmark 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision that overturned the Court’s longstanding “separate but equal” doctrine dating from 1896. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1967 by then-President Lyndon Johnson, Marshall served with distinction until his retirement in 1991. He died in 1993 at the age of 85.

Laurence Fishburne brings Marshall to life once again when he recreates his Tony-nominated Broadway role for the Geffen’s new West Coast production of the George Stevens, Jr. play. At only 95 minutes in one act, it’s kid-friendly, too, offering an accessible and inspiring introduction to one of the most acclaimed and influential figures of our time. The Geffen Playhouse is located in Westwood Village at 10886 Le Conte Ave. in Westwood Village. Here’s the full rundown on all of this season’s productions, along with a seating chart and how to purchase tickets.