Alice Childress at the University of Michigan

As difficult as it is for any play to go from page to stage, Black playwrights have had additional obstacles to overcome in that quest. Their work may not be seen as commercial enough to warrant the effort or the subject matter of their plays may be defined as too difficult to handle for a traditional theatergoing audience (TRANSLATION: white patrons). In a world where state legislatures draft bills to ban books and the teaching of American history accurately, warts and all, it’s hard to believe a Black writer who wishes to be represent the lives and thoughts of Black people has any chance at a career. So it stands to reason that during Women’s History Month we should marvel at the accomplishments of playwright Alice Childress. Continue reading Alice Childress at the University of Michigan

Black Theatre Matters S1E4: Black Lives, Black Words

Today, we’re going to devote the majority of the show to an interview with Black Lives, Black Words founders Reginald Edmund and Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway. BLBW is an international is an artistic movement that spans across countries and continents, in which Black narratives are told by – and in complete control of – Black Artists with the mission in mind to empower all audiences. Continue reading Black Theatre Matters S1E4: Black Lives, Black Words

Apollo Theater to Present Ta-Nehisi Coates’s BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME

Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater has announced the details of its upcoming 2017-2018 season. Probably the most anticipated part of the programming will be a stage adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s #1 New York Times bestseller BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME. The show – scheduled … Continue reading Apollo Theater to Present Ta-Nehisi Coates’s BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME