A History of African American Theatre

by Errol G. Hill, James V. Hatch

Overview

This definitive history of African-American theatre embraces companies from across the U.S., as well as the anglophone Caribbean and African-American companies touring Europe, Australia and Africa. Representing a catholicity of styles, from African ritual to European forms, amateur to professional, and political nationalism to integration, the volume covers all aspects of performance. It includes minstrel, vaudeville, and cabaret acts, as well as shows written by whites that used black casts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521624725
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/08/2005
Series:	Cambridge Studies in American Theatre and Drama , #18
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	634
Sales rank:	800,381
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 8.94(h) x 1.46(d)

About the Author

Professor Emeritus, Theatre Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

Professor Emeritus in the Graduate Theatre Program at the City University of New York.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; Foreword Lloyd G. Richards; Preface James V. Hatch; Acknowledgments; List of abbreviations; Introduction Errol G. Hill; 1. Slavery and conquest: background to black theatre Errol G. Hill; 2. The African Theatre to Uncle Tom's Cabin Erroll G. Hill; 3. The Civil War to The Creole Show Errol G. Hill; 4. The American minstrelsy in black and white James V. Hatch; 5. New vistas: plays, spectacles, musicals, and opera Errol G. Hill; 6. The struggle continues Errol G. Hill and James V. Hatch; 7. The Harlem Renaissance James V. Hatch; 8. Educational theatre James V. Hatch and Errol G. Hill; 9. The Caribbean connection Errol G. Hill; 10. The Great Depression and Federal Theatre James V. Hatch; 11. Creeping toward integration James V. Hatch; 12. From Hansberry to Shange James V. Hatch; 13. The Millennium James V. Hatch; Appendix: Theatre scholarship at the year 2002; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"The complete historical reference for the African American theatre lover." Family Digest Magazine

"Though many mourn the recent loss of Errol Hill, he and Hatch leave a lasting legacy with this valuable and comprehensive history.... Both Hill and Hatch have already been instrumental in providing extensive scholarship and criticism of African American theater and drama, and this volume broadens that investigation.... The book clarifies the reality that African American contributions to theater can no longer be ignored or relegated to 'token paragraphs.' Essential." Choice

"Impressive in scope, this magisterial history of the hardships and achievements of black creators of theatre in America takes the reader from the early-1400s origins of the African slave trade to events-in-progress at certain theatres in the spring of 2001, includes theatrical forms like minstrelsy and vaudeville, and looks at African American theatre in cities all across the United States as well as in the Caribbean. [...] surely takes its place as our definitive work on the subject. Theatre History Studies HB ISBN (2003) 0-521-62443-6

From the Publisher