Marcus never quite fit in. He’s Black, but he acts, walks, talks, and dresses like a white nerd. Except, he isn’t a white nerd. He’s a Black Nerd. And nobody knows how to handle a Black Nerd—not his family, not his white nerd best friend, not the affirming binge-drinking community of Dragon Con, and not his girlfriends—arguably, not even Marcus himself. Only his foul-mouthed, do-big-harm-and-take-no-shit, weed smokin’ terror of a grandmother might have some idea, but she can’t tell him who he is.

Being a nerd doesn’t erase Marcus’ Blackness, and being Black doesn’t eclipse Marcus’ nerdiness. A reckoning with his family, his friends, his love life, society, and himself forces Marcus to embrace what makes his life difficult and ineffable also makes him, and his experiences, unique and important in this offbeat journey of self-acceptance.

Black Nerd is a dark comedy from Jon Carr that delves into the unexplored Black experience from a time before “Blerd” was a named subculture.

While this show originally premiered at Dad’s Garage in 2018, it makes a triumphant return to the stage for a 2027 remount!