Highlights of African American theatre and performance

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part explores the important experience of self-actualization through theatrical representation. It discusses the inventiveness of artists and theatre professionals who have resisted being placed in any box of respectability, predictability, or some narrow definition of what it means to be involved in professional African American theatre. The part explains early efforts by Black people committed to the possibilities of professional theatre. It considers the achievements of Sherman H. Dudley, who began as a versatile vaudeville entertainer, working as a singer, dancer, actor, songwriter, and live horse-act organizer. The part also explores the important theatrical genre of Black historical dramas, which demonstrate that African Americans inherit a wide range of legacies worthy of remembering and retelling to new audiences. Black sensibilities on Broadway can also take the form of design and economic production.