Black theatre : ritual performance in the African diaspora

Bibliographic Information

Black theatre : ritual performance in the African diaspora

edited by Paul Carter Harrison, Victor Leo Walker II, Gus Edwards

Temple University Press, 2002

  • : cloth
  • : pbk

Available at  / 3 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: cloth ISBN 9781566399432

Description

Generating a new understanding of the past as well as a vision for the future this path-breaking volume contains essays written by playwrights, scholars, and critics that analyze African American theatre as it is practiced today. Even as they acknowledge that Black experience is not monolithic, these contributors argue provocatively and persuasively for a Black consciousness that creates a culturally specific theatre. This theatre, rooted in an African mythos, offers ritual rather than realism; it transcends the specifics of social relations, reaching toward revelation. The ritual performance that is intrinsic to Black theatre renews the community; in Paul Carter Harrison's words, it 'reveals the Form of Things Unknown' in a way that 'binds, cleanses, and heals'. Author note: Paul Carter Harrison is playwright in residence at the Theatre Center, Columbia College, Chicago. He is the author of several books including, "The Drama of Nommo" and the editor of several play anthologies. His play, "The Great MacDaddy", received an Obie Award for playwriting. Victor Leo Walker is Chief Executive Officer of the African Grove Institute for the Arts, Inc. and the author of "The Cultural MatriX: Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center, 1965 to 1998" (forthcoming). Gus Edwards teaches Film Studies and directs a multi-ethnic theatre program at Arizona State University. He has published two volumes of monologues from his plays including "The Offering", "Black Body Blues", and "Louie & Ophelia". He is coeditor with Paul Carter Harrison of the anthology, "Classic Plays from the Negro Ensemble Company".

Table of Contents

Praise/Word Paul Carter Harrison Part I: African Roots Introduction Victor Leo Walker II 1. Roots in African Drama and Theatre J. C. de Graft 2. The African Heritage of African American Art and Performance Babatunde Lawal 3. Agones: The Constitution of a Practice Tejumola Olaniyan 4. What the Twilight Says: An Overture Derek Walcott 5. Caribbean Narrative: Carnival Characters In Life and in the Mind Gus Edwards 6. Rebaptizing the World in Our Own Terms: Black Theatre and Live Arts in Britain Michael McMillan and SuAndi Part II: Mythology And Metaphysics Introduction Victor Leo Walker II 7. The Fourth Stage: Through the Mysteries of Ogun to the Origin of Yoruba Tragedy Wole Soyinka 8. The Candomble and Eshu-Eleggua in Brazilian and Cuban Yoruba-Based Ritual Marta Moreno Vega 9. Legba and the Politics of Metaphysics: The Trickster in Black Drama Femi Euba 10. Art for Life's Sake: Rituals and Rights of Self and Other in the Theatre of Aime Cesaire Keith L. Walker 11. Sycorax Mythology May Joseph 12. Conjuring as Radical Re/Membering in the Works of Shay Youngblood Joni L. Jones 13. Archetype and Masking in LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka's Dutchman Victor Leo Walker II Part III: Dramaturgical Practice Introduction Paul Carter Harrison 14. The Dramaturg's Way: Meditations on the Cartographer at the Crossroads Deborah Wood Holton 15. Introduction to Moon Marked and Touched by Sun Sydne Mahone 16. Kennedy's Travelers in the American and African Continuum Paul K. Bryant-Jackson 17. Mojo and the Sayso: A Drama of Nommo That Asks, "Is Your Mojo Working?" Andrea J.Nouryeh 18. Ritual Poetics and Rites of Passage in Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf Jean Young Part IV: Performance Introduction Gus Edwards 19. Form and Transformation: Immanence of the Soul in the Performance Modes of Black Church and Black Music Paul Carter Harrison 20. The Sense of Self in Ritualizing New Performance Spaces for Survival Beverly J. Robinson 21. Barbara Ann Teer: From Holistic Training to Liberating Rituals Lundeana M. Thomas 22. Bopera Theory Amiri Baraka 23. From Hip-Hop to Hittite: Part X Keith Antar Mason 24. Members and Lames: Language in the Plays of August Wilson William W. Cook 25. Porque Tu No M'entrende? Whatcha Mean You Can't Understand Me? Ntozake Shange 26. Performance Method George C. Wolfe 27. Afterword: Testimony of a Witness Eleanor W. Traylor About the Contributors
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9781566399449

Description

Generating a new understanding of the past--as well as a vision for the future--this path-breaking volume contains essays written by playwrights, scholars, and critics that analyze African American theatre as it is practiced today. Even as they acknowledge that Black experience is not monolithic, these contributors argue provocatively and persuasively for a Black consciousness that creates a culturally specific theatre. This theatre, rooted in an African mythos, offers ritual rather than realism; it transcends the specifics of social relations, reaching toward revelation. The ritual performance that is intrinsic to Black theatre renews the community; in Paul Carter Harrison's words, it "reveals the Form of Things Unknown" in a way that "binds, cleanses, and heals." Author note: Paul Carter Harrison is playwright in residence at the Theatre Center, Columbia College, Chicago. He is the author of several books including, The Drama of Nommo and the editor of several play anthologies. His play, The Great MacDaddy, received an Obie Award for playwriting. Victor Leo Walker is Chief Executive Officer of the African Grove Institute for the Arts, Inc. and the author of The Cultural MatriX: Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center, 1965 to 1998 (forthcoming). Gus Edwards teaches Film Studies and directs a multi-ethnic theatre program at Arizona State University. He has published two volumes of monologues from his plays including The Offering, Black Body Blues, and Louie & Ophelia. He is coeditor with Paul Carter Harrison of the anthology, Classic Plays from the Negro Ensemble Company.

Table of Contents

Praise/Word - Paul Carter HarrisonPart I: African RootsIntroduction - Victor Leo Walker II1. Roots in African Drama and Theatre - J. C. de Graft2. The African Heritage of African American Art and Performance - Babatunde Lawal3. Agones: The Constitution of a Practice - Tejumola Olaniyan4. What the Twilight Says: An Overture - Derek Walcott5. Caribbean Narrative: Carnival Characters-In Life and in the Mind - Gus Edwards6. Rebaptizing the World in Our Own Terms: Black Theatre and Live Arts in Britain - Michael McMillan and SuAndiPart II: Mythology And MetaphysicsIntroduction - Victor Leo Walker II7. The Fourth Stage: Through the Mysteries of Ogun to the Origin of Yoruba Tragedy - Wole Soyinka8. The Candomble and Eshu-Eleggua in Brazilian and Cuban Yoruba-Based Ritual - Marta Moreno Vega9. Legba and the Politics of Metaphysics: The Trickster in Black Drama - Femi Euba10. Art for Life's Sake: Rituals and Rights of Self and Other in the Theatre of Aime Cesaire - Keith L. Walker11. Sycorax Mythology - May Joseph12. Conjuring as Radical Re/Membering in the Works of Shay Youngblood - Joni L. Jones13. Archetype and Masking in LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka's Dutchman - Victor Leo Walker IIPart III: Dramaturgical PracticeIntroduction - Paul Carter Harrison14. The Dramaturg's Way: Meditations on the Cartographer at the Crossroads - Deborah Wood Holton15. Introduction to Moon Marked and Touched by Sun - Sydne Mahone16. Kennedy's Travelers in the American and African Continuum - Paul K. Bryant-Jackson17. Mojo and the Sayso: A Drama of Nommo That Asks, "Is Your Mojo Working?" - Andrea J.Nouryeh18. Ritual Poetics and Rites of Passage in Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf - Jean YoungPart IV: PerformanceIntroduction - Gus Edwards19. Form and Transformation: Immanence of the Soul in the Performance Modes of Black Church and Black Music - Paul Carter Harrison20. The Sense of Self in Ritualizing New Performance Spaces for Survival - Beverly J. Robinson21. Barbara Ann Teer: From Holistic Training to Liberating Rituals - Lundeana M. Thomas22. Bopera Theory - Amiri Baraka23. From Hip-Hop to Hittite: Part X - Keith Antar Mason24. Members and Lames: Language in the Plays of August Wilson - William W. Cook25. Porque Tu No M'entrende? Whatcha Mean You Can't Understand Me? - Ntozake Shange26. Performance Method - George C. Wolfe27. Afterword: Testimony of a Witness - Eleanor W. TraylorAbout the Contributors

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