Resistance, Parody and Double Consciousness in African American Theatre, 1895-1910 [Hardcover]

David Krasner (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312173636 | ISBN-13: 978-0312173630 | Publication Date: August 15, 1997

The history of African American performance and theatre is a topic that few scholars have closely studied or discussed as a critical part of American culture. In this fascinating interdisciplinary volume, David Krasner reveals such a history to be a tremendously rich one, focusing particularly on the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the 20th century. The fields of history, black literary theory, cultural studies, performance studies and postcolonial theory are utilized in an examination of several major productions. In addition, Krasner looks at the aesthetic significance of African American performers on the American stage and the meaning of the technique entitled "cakewalking." Investigating expressions of protest within the theatre, Krasner reveals that this period was replete with moments of resistance to racism, parodies of the minstrel tradition, and double consciousness on the part of performers. An enlightening work which unveils new information about its subject, Resistance, Parody, and Double Consciousness in African American Theatre offers insights into African American artistry during an era of racism and conflict.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

As a virtually unrevised but exceptionally thorough dissertation focusing on a narrow slice of African American culture and making use of extensive poststructuralist, semiotic, and postcolonial theory, Krasner's study is clearly intended for specialists. In examining productions by African American theatrical companies in the period following the zenith of minstrelsy, Krasner (theater studies, Yale) proposes that various techniques (e.g., parody) and an overall Du Boisian double consciousness were used by several major performers to resist the worsening racism while not alienating white audiences. Krasner's combination of extensive archival research and far-ranging knowledge provides an exhilarating intellectual experience for advanced scholars; the chapter on the social construction of cakewalking is particularly brilliant. Institutions supporting advanced degrees in American theater or African American studies should certainly acquire this. Although written from a musicological perspective, Thomas L. Riis's Just Before Jazz: Black Musical Theatre in New York, 1890-1915 (LJ 11/1/89) is a somewhat more accessible study suitable for lay readers.?Robert W. Melton, Univ. of Kansas Libs., Lawrence
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Krasner's combination of extensive archival research and far-ranging knowledge provides an exhilarating intellectual experience.” —Library Journal

“The first winner of the Errol Hill Award for notable studies of African American theater, Krasner's insightful book examines a slighted period in the history of theater and entertainment.” —Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312173636
• ISBN-13: 978-0312173630
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,896,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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