The Development of Black Theater in America : From Shadows to Selves

Black theater in America has not been studied as seriously as it ought to be. This academic study will lead the way. It is not really a history but a thoughtful discussion of three major periods of black theater through the most representative playwrights of each period. After establishing the scope of her argument in the introduction, Sanders devotes meaty chapters to two early playwrights, Willis Richardson and Randolph Edmonds; a middle playwright, Langston Hughes; and two modern playwrights, LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka) and Ed Bullins. She knows the works and the periods, her research is extensive, and her arguments are clear. For specialists. Thomas E. Luddy, Salem State Coll., Mass.Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.