Ketanji Jackson, a liberal Supreme Court justice who is a member of the court’s liberal branch, made her Broadway debut in a single-night performance on Sunday. The 54-year-old justice performed in two scenes of “& Juliet”, a feminist twist on William Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo and Juliet.”
Jackson prepared for her performance by participating in table readings, walkthroughs of scenes, and vocal sessions. Jackson held a talkback session with the audience after her performance.
Jackson’s application to Harvard University, in which she stated her desire to be the “first Black female Supreme Court Justice to appear on Broadway,” emphasized this ambition. Jackson was appointed to the Supreme Court after President Joe Biden promised to choose the first Black woman Supreme Court justice, thus meeting the definition of “diversity hiring.”
Jackson said in her confirmation hearing that she didn’t know what a “woman” is.
Can I provide a definition? I’m afraid not.
Jackson responded:
In this context, I am not a scientist.
It’s only natural that Jackson’s Broadway character includes a storyline with a gender-dysphoric theme. Justin David Sullivan plays a nonbinary May, who is caught in a triangle of love with Francois and Juliet, their best friend.
The musical’s LGBTQIA+ strands are a major selling point in one review.
The cast is made up of people from all walks of life, including POCs and LGBTQ+ members. It also features a heavily queer storyline. May, Juliet’s best friend is non-binary. This is both a fact and part of the larger storyline.
The musical features a soundtrack that includes hits from the ’90s and ’00s by artists such as Britney Spears and Katy Perry.
Jackson’s walk on Broadway performance follows the Hillary Clinton produced “Suffs”, which was a bomb earlier this year.
Here’s what I wrote about “Suffs”.
The previews of “Suffs”, a musical production that has been praised by many for its power and emotion, seem to be an embarrassment for women and the rights they have worked so hard for. The feminist dramatizations seem more like a parody than a historical record of women’s victory. This staged, performative womanhood fits Hillary Clinton’s brand perfectly.
The appearance of Judge Jackson in “& Juliet”, a play about the love triangle between two women, highlights her activist persona. She is more concerned with promoting social causes and achieving equality than she is with maintaining the impartiality that the nation’s top court should be able to provide. A character in a love triangle with a gender-dysphoric twist, which is her first foray on Broadway, only strengthens this activist persona. It shows that Jackson’s political views and public image influenced the Supreme Court more than they used to.
