Black Theatre Characteristics

(A model for what Black Theatre should be.)

1. Black Theatre should be:

a). About Black people – The plays must have plots, which reveal African American life.

b). By Black people – The plays must be written by a Black playwright.

c). For Black people – The plays must be written for Black people.

d). Near Black people – The theatre must be located or near a Black neighborhood.

(The above theatre characteristics come from the writings of W.E.B. DuBois.)

2. Black Theatre should be:

a). Functional – It should have a purpose and teach a lesson.

b). Collective – It should be group oriented. Group concerns have priority over individual concerns.

c). Committed – These plays advance the struggle for empowerment and freedom for Black people.

(The above theatre characteristics come from the writings of Ron Karenga, the father of Kwanza.)

3. Music compliments the play. How is music used in the play?

4. The central characters seek to redefine themselves in opposition to the roles society attempts to impose on them.

5. Stereotypes are employed only in a satirical or disparaging manner. Satire pokes fun to teach a lesson. The plays are presented to say, “Don’t be like this.”

6. The dialogue employs African American linguistic traditions. A Black dialect or a style of speech is used.

7. Spectacle is the least important of the production elements. 2

8. The audience consideration.

The play:

a). Encourages the audience to participate with the performance through call and response. In Black theatre when the actors hear the audience, it affects their performance (good or bad).

b). It elicits thought and action on the part of the audience. When you leave the theatre, it should cause you to think about yourself, the play, and possibly change your life.

c). Entertaining. The play should be entertaining.