Play Suggestions: African-American play?

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African-American play?

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5063
Printed Date: 5/30/25 at 12:50am
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Topic: African-American play?

Posted By: greenphoenix
Subject: African-American play?
Date Posted: 5/05/11 at 11:38pm

One more request: Can anyone suggest a play specifically designed with a partial or full African-American cast? I am wanting something less heavy than "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" or "Fences". For example, "Driving Miss Daisy" was a great option for out theatre because it had comedy and drama in the story. Thanks for any ideas you can share!

Replies:

Posted By: KeeKeeDee
Date Posted: 5/06/11 at 3:21am

"Intimate Apparel" By Lynn Nottage.

Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 5/08/11 at 6:02am

Why worry about the ethnicity of a play, just chose any one, no matter what!

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[western] Gondawandaland
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 5/10/11 at 1:40pm

Go for the musical "Purlie" - one of the greatest musicals of the 20th century.

On a smaller scale - the play "Permanent Collection" explores the harm done to both sides when racism rears its ugly head, that it's not just whites who are capable of being racist.

Posted By: greenphoenix
Date Posted: 5/10/11 at 9:32pm

"Why worry about the ethnicity of a play, just chose any one, no matter what!"

The reason I am seeking something calling specifically for an African-American cast is because our theatre is striving to increase our diversity. While many shows can be cast with a multicultural group of actors, we aren't attracting the types of artists that accurately reflect the population of our community. Also, our funding hinges on offering opportunities for minority groups. I feel having the right material will attract the people we need.

Posted By: ZFix2000
Date Posted: 5/26/11 at 8:50am

          A good one to do would be "Juba". It is about the dance Juba who is credited with inventing Tap dancing. It show how even during the era of the minstrel shows Juba, a black man, was able to stay at ritzy hotels, have a private carriage and awesome respect. It is a great positive show of one man rising above it all.
          It is also great for teaching all involved about some of the better minstrel show producers. Some of who used their productions to get African music, culture, and hardships to the public.
          Bit of trivia. Did you know the producer who introduced 'Dixie" to the world, wrote it for a scene where a freed slave was dieing on the streets of New York? He had the man sing Dixie as he was dieing. Basically telling the audience he would rather have been dieing a slave down south than a "Freed Man" in the north, where he was still treated as less than an animal. This producer was also one of the first ones to put Africans on stage in make up. He also spent time on the plantations living with the slaves and in Africa paying them for music and dance choreography. After the South took "Dixie" for their anthem he was prohibited from performing in the North. So he moved to Europe.

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