Description: This new edition provides an expanded, comprehensive history of African American theatre, from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Including discussions of slave rebellions on the national stage, African Americans on Broadway, the Harlem Renaissance, African American women dramatists, and the New Negro and Black Arts movements, the Companion also features fresh chapters on significant contemporary developments, such as the influence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the mainstream successes of Black Queer Drama and the evolution of African American Dance Theatre. Leading scholars spotlight the producers, directors, playwrights, and actors who have fashioned a more accurate appearance of Black life on stage, revealing the impact of African American theatre both within the United States and around the world. Addressing recent theatre productions in the context of political and cultural change, it invites readers to reflect on where African American theatre is heading in the twenty-first century.
Brief description: Harvey Young is Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Professor of Theatre at Boston University. He is the author or editor of ten books, including Embodying Black Experience (2010), Theatre & Race (2013) and most recently Theatre after Empire (2021).
Review Quotes: 'In recent years, African American theatre has surged as a vital force for community, protest, mourning, fury, and hope. This expanded edition examines Black theater's newest developments even as it remains the definitive resource for understanding the deep historical, political, and theoretical traditions that inform this contemporary theater making. An indispensable volume for students, experts, and fans alike.' Shane Vogel, Yale University