Description

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"These lynching dramas may not present the picture that America wants to see of itself, but these visions cannot be ignored because they are grounded--not only in the truth of white racism's toxic effect on our national existence but also in the truth that there exists a contesting, collective response that is part of an on-going and continually building momentum." --Theaatre Journal

"A unique, powerful collection worthy of high school and college classroom assignment and discussion." --Bookwatch

This anthology is the first to address the impact of lynching on U.S. theater and culture. By focusing on women's unique view of lynching, this collection of plays reveals a social history of interracial cooperation between black and white women and an artistic tradition that continues to evolve through the work of African American women artists. Included are plays spanning the period 1916 to 1994 from playwrights such as Angelina Weld Grimke, Georgia Douglas Johnson, Lillian Smith, and Michon Boston.

About the Author

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Kathy A. Perkins is Associate Professor of Theater at University of Illinois where she heads the Theater Lighting Design Program. She is also the author of Black Female Playwrights: An Anthology of Plays before 1950 and co-editor of Contemporary Plays by Women of Color.Judith L. Stephens, Associate Professor of Speech Communication at Pennsylvania State University, Schuylkill, serves on the executive Board of the Black Theater Network. She has published articles on women in American theater in African American Review, Theatre Journal, Theatre Annual, Text and Performance Quarterly, and The Journal of American Drama and Theater.