Exploring Race and Mental Health Intersectionality in The Blue Orange: A Critical Race Theory Perspective

Abstract

To examine how Critical Race Theory (CRT) is applied in discussing the intersectionality of race and mental health, this paper will closely analyze Blue Orange by Joe Penhall. The play is a subtle satire against the racial bias of the psychiatric system, where the protagonist of the story, a young black man, Christopher, is fighting a white-dominated psychiatric facility. This discussion explores the impact of institutional racism on mental health identification and therapy, which shows the shortcomings of the conventional psychiatric practice. Through the experiences of working on CRT and mental health with Tony Nicholas Brown, this paper explains why The Blue Orange helps to acknowledge the errors of an institutionalized system that, on many occasions, does not recognize the multifaceted nature of marginalized persons.