Customer Reviews

The Royalty of Negro Vaudeville: The Whitman Sisters and the Negotiation of Race, Gender and Class in African American Theater 1900-1940

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Like Alice Walker, who resurrected the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Nadine George-Graves has uncovered the lost story of powerful African-American women: the Whitman Sisters. A powerful force in Vaudeville, these profoundly talented entertainers were also astute entrepeneurs, whose company formed a springboard for many luminaries of the stage. We are in Ms. George-Graves debt for bringing to light this important history.

An excellent book, well written and meticulously researched. Not only does Nadine George-Graves provide fascinating and useful information about the Whitman Sisters, she also discusses, in great detail, the social and cultural circumstances surrounding their historical moment. The information on Toby, the black vaudeville circuit, is invaluable. Much of what George-Graves writes about hasn't been written about elsewhere, making her book all the more unique and important.

This is a short book - only 118 pages - but the amount of information it contains makes it indispensible for anyone interested in vaudeville, dance, or African-American theater.

Like Alice Walker, who resurrected the work of Zora Neale Hurston, Nadine George-Graves has unearthed the lost story of powerful African-American women: The Whitman Sisters. Profoundly talented entertainers, these women were also astute entrepeneurs, whose company formed the springboard for many musical and stage luminaries. We are in Ms. George-Graves debt for bringing this lost history to light.