The First Black Actors on the Great White Way
Format:Paperback
Publisher:University of Missouri Press
Published:31st Mar '01
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Set against the backdrop of transforming theatre conventions in the early 1900s and US entry into World War I in 1917, this book relates the stories of the actors, stage artists, critics and many others - black and white - involved in the groundbreaking production of ""Three Plays for a Negro Theatre"". Curtis explores in great depth both the progress in race relations that led to this production and the multi-faceted reasons for its quick demise. She also investigates the heightened national self-consciousness that followed the United States' entry into the war. By focusing on a single event at a critical moment in history, ""The First Black Actors on the Great White Way"" offers a glimpse into race relations in early 20th-century American society.
Curtis has made a major contribution to our understanding of theater history.... The resulting text is an excellent example of how history, theater, and cultural studies can be brought together to offer a fascinating story of people whose contribution is now being given the credit it deserves. - Library Journal ""This is a stylishly written, popularly accessible, and deeply thoughtful study of an important episode in the cultural history of the United States."" - David Roediger ""An invaluable cultural resource to those curious about the rise of blacks on the Broadway stage."" - Black Issues Book Review ""This is an important study, not only of blacks in U.S. drama, but of the complex cross-cultural collaborations and racial politics behind one of the most important theater events of the early 20th century: the April 5, 1917, Broadway opening of three one-act plays by the American playwright Ridgely Torrence, with an all-black cast.... Highly recommended."" - Choice
ISBN: 9780826213303
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 333g
304 pages