Playwright and columnist Dan Rodricks, appearing in his play at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Over 46 consecutive years, Rodricks wrote more than 6,600 columns for The Sun. It is believed to be the longest-running local column in the U.S.

Over 46 consecutive years, Rodricks wrote more than 6,600 columns for The Sun. It is believed to be the longest-running local column in the U.S.

Over 46 consecutive years, Rodricks wrote more than 6,600 columns for The Sun. It is believed to be the longest-running local column in the U.S.

About Dan Rodricks

Three times a week from January 1979 until January 2025, Dan Rodricks wrote a column on a sprawling range of topics for The Baltimore Sun. In addition to the column, Rodricks was for many years a local radio and television host, and he was the creator and host of The Sun’s first podcast, Roughly Speaking.

He is the author of three books, including “Father's Day Creek: Fly Fishing, Fatherhood and The Last Best Place on Earth” (Apprentice House 2019).

His first play, “Baltimore, You Have No Idea,” has had three runs to sell-out audiences at the Baltimore Museum of Art’s Meyerhoff Auditorium. A second play, “Baltimore Docket,” premiered in February 2024, also to sell-out audiences. Both plays are based on Rodricks’ work as a reporter and columnist for The Sun. His third play, “No Mean City: Baltimore 1966,” will have its premier run at the BMA in March 2026.

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"No Mean City: Baltimore 1966"

March 5-15, 2026
Meyerhoff Theater, Baltimore Museum of Art

The final installment of Rodricks' trilogy of plays about Baltimore, “No Mean City: Baltimore 1966” is an historic drama set in 1966, the year the Baltimore Orioles won their first American League pennant and World Series. While the city cheered a championship team led by the great Robinsons—Frank and Brooks—racial tensions were heating up, challenging a progressive Republican mayor, Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin, to keep peace in his last hurrah at City Hall. 

More than a baseball story, "No Mean City" adds to our understanding of the 20th Century forces that shaped the Baltimore we know today. This is a play about leaders of the past—in politics, in civil rights and sports—who pushed Baltimore and the nation to a better, more just place.

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Support Student Access to Live Theater

On March 11, the production of "No Mean City: Baltimore 1966" will present a free matinee for local high school students, made possible through the generosity of community supporters. If you’re able, please consider making a contribution to help sustain this opportunity for students. Follow the link below to learn more and make a donation.

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