The National Black Drama Anthology: Eleven Plays from America's Leading African-American Theaters [Paperback]

Hal Leonard Corp. (Creator), Jr., Woodie King (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2000

"Though New York remains the de facto capital of American theater, much of the most daring and interesting work today is done by regional theaters. This is doubly true of plays by African American authors, who, despite a few notable exceptions (August Wilson, George C. Wolfe), suffer under a commercial apartheid that keeps black plays off Broadway. Of necessity, African American theater artists have to create their own venues from the ground up. This wide-ranging anthology edited by the founder of the New Federal Theater celebrates the work of that company's black-owned, black-run peers by presenting work by 11 dramatists. Among the most interesting are Jeff Stetson's moving The Meeting, which imagines a meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and Shauneille Perry's fascinating updating of In Dahomey, the 1903 musical hit that was the first 'all-Black show' on Broadway." - Jack Helbig, Booklist

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Though New York remains the de facto capital of American theater, much of the most daring and interesting work today is done by regional theaters. This is doubly true of plays by African American authors, who, despite a few notable exceptions (August Wilson, George C. Wolfe), suffer under a commercial apartheid that keeps black plays off Broadway. Of necessity, African American theater artists have to create their own venues from the ground up. This wide-ranging anthology edited by the founder of the New Federal Theater celebrates the work of that company's black-owned, black-run peers by presenting work by 11 dramatists. Among the most interesting are Jeff Stetson's moving The Meeting, which imagines a meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., and Shauneille Perry's fascinating updating of In Dahomey, the 1903 musical hit that was the first "all-Black show" on Broadway. Jack Helbig

About the Author

Founded in 1947, Hal Leonard Corporation has become the worlds largest print music publisher, representing some of the greatest songwriters and artists of all time. We are proud to publish titles of interest to all musicians as well as music lovers, from songbooks and instructional titles to artist biographies and instrument price guides to books about the music industry and all the performing arts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Applause Books (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557832196
• ISBN-13: 978-1557832191
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,110,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The National Black Drama Anthology, March 30, 2000

By 

DeAndra Beard (Kokomo, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The National Black Drama Anthology: Eleven Plays from America's Leading African-American Theaters (Paperback)

This book is a beautiful represention of today's Black theater. We so often "forget" that there are talented Black playwrights, who are rarely given notice. The book shows the broad spectrum of life and views in one culture. Today I notice and give accolades to those with the God given talent of dramatic creativity.