Black Drama in USA I
THTR 23200, Section C, Code # 3473, Fall 2013
Mondays & Wednesdays 11:00–12:15, NA/6111
Instructor: M. Shane Breaux
Email:
Mailbox: C-G 311
Office Hours:I am available via email and in person by appointment.
Course Description: This introductory course offers an intensive exploration and analysis of the evolution of black drama in the United States from 1821 to 1950.Through the close reading of dramatic and historical texts, this course will offer insights into the movements, institutions, actors, playwrights,and other related artists contributing to African-American theatre, and American theatre as a whole. Throughout the course of the semester, we shall also address larger questions regarding black theatre such as: What exactly is “black drama”? What is the relationship between this black drama and the broader American theatre? Should there be a divide between them? How has this theatre been used as a site for political resistance, cultural identity formation, as well as entertainment? Can we imagine these plays being staged and working for today’s audiences? All this will be based on lectures, readings, video/audio clips, in-class discussions, and seeing four theatrical productions—both on campus and off.
Learning Objectives:
•Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze plays through various frames such as theatrical theory, politics, and the conditions in which the plays were created through class discussions, written assignments, and in-class presentations.
•Students will become familiar with the major black playwrights, actors, activists, and other significant figures in black theatre during this early period.
•Students will demonstrate an understanding of the diversity of work within the larger frame of “black drama” and how those different dramatic genres and forms work toward varying ends (entertainment, political efficacy, bolstering or challenging historical theatrical traditions, etc.) in class discussions, written assignments, and in-class presentations.
•Students will be able to think critically about the relationship between black drama and the larger idea of “American drama.”
LocalEvents that Pertain to Our Pursuits:
- For a schedule of events this fall atThe Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (NYPL), please visit
- Fetch Clay, Make Man by Will Power: New York Theatre Workshop;
- Sister Girl:Wednesday, October 23, 2013, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
- For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuff:Saturday, Nov. 30 at 2pm and Sunday, Dec. 1 at 7pm.
Tools for Learning Assessment / Course Requirements: Reading for and participation in class discussions, watching and listening to all assigned video and clips, attendance at four theatrical performances, twelve quizzes, two response papers, one presentation, a midterm exam, and one final paper divided into four stages. All written assignments will be submitted on Blackboard.
Quizzes: There will be quizzes on some of the readings (dates specified in the course schedule below). Students absent for a quiz will receive zero points; no make-ups are allowed. The lowest two quiz scores will be dropped.
Response Papers: Students are required to write twoshort reviews (minimum of THREE pagesand no more than four) about two productions you will see this semester—either on campus or off. Ideally, you will see plays that deal with or address black themes, identities, or other issues regarding race in the United States (in other words, issues that will be part of our class’s discussions), but they do not necessarily need to have been written in or about the period we are covering. The papers should be written in a formal manner rather than a casual or colloquial one. As I consider writing (and making theatre) as a process, I do encourage you to revise and resubmit both these writing assignments (for credit) within one week of the time I return the original to you. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you choose to write about the CCNY productions, those are due on Blackboard BEFORE the class meeting of the due date(see schedule below for dates).
Presentation: In preparation for the final paper project, you will be required to give a presentation to the class and lead a brief discussion on your chosen topic totaling 15 to 20 minutes. This assignment is intended to get you working early in the semester on your final research project and to share with the class what you have discovered about your particular topic. For instance, if you choose to write your final research paper about William Wells Brown’s use of theatre as an abolitionist tool, you might present to us his life, his play(s), how theatre might have aided (or impeded) his activism, any later playwrights who might have been inspired by his work, etc. Hopefully you will select things to share with us that interest you or that you find challenging or surprising about your topic. We will discuss this assignment and its requirements in greater detail early in the semester. The point is for you to teach your peers what you have learned so far in your research. The due date of this assignment depends on the topic you choose—we will try to schedule the presentations to align with the schedule of study (so that you would present on Langston Hughes, for example, on one of the days we will discuss his work).
Final Paper: There is no final exam for this course. Rather, there will be one final paper due, a 7–10 page research paper on a topic of your choosing. I will provide a list of possible subjects (people, plays, and theatrical/political movements) from which you may choose. In this paper, you should formulate a question or a problem that you would like to explore and then engage a minimum of four appropriate sources (more sources are always welcome) to work through this question or problem. It should have a strong thesis and point of view. This paper will include a bibliography following MLA style; the bibliography is an attachment to the paper and does not count toward the 7–10 page length requirement.
This assignment is broken down into four stages in order to help facilitate your success with the long paper as explained below. I will provide feedback at each stage to assist in your writing process. You will submit each stage to our class’s Blackboard site.
AssignmentSchedule:
Stage 1 (due Sept. 23): For this low-stakes assignment, you will submit a short formal paragraph detailing (1) your chosen topic, (2) the reason for your selection, (3) what questions or arguments you plan to address in the paper, and (4) a list of at least three sources you plan to consult.
Stage 2 (due Oct. 23): For this assignment, you will submit a proposed outline of your review detailing the approach you plan to take to your subject—what specific aspects do you plan to address, how you plan to explore your questions or problems, etc.
Stage 3 (due Nov. 13): You will submit a draft of the paper. I will provide feedback that will help you make appropriate revisions for the final version. This will most likely be a rough draft which does not need to be complete. It should be at least four pages long, but bear in mind that the more you submit at this stage, the more help I can offer.
Stage 4 (due Dec. 11): For this high-stakes assignment, you will submit your final paper (absolutely no fewer than seven pages), which should be a thoughtful revision and completion of your draft based on my feedback.
Course Texts:
Most of the plays for this class come from two anthologies that our bookstore could not buy. However, if you would like to add either of these great volumes to your personal library, you can buy them on amazon.com both new as well as used. If you are interested in continuing to study black US drama, I recommend making the investment. They are not required for this class, as I will provide PDFs of all the reading materials on Blackboard. The two anthologies are:
- Black Theatre USA: The Early Period 1847–1938. Revised and Expanded Edition. Edited by James V. Hatch and Ted Shine. New York: The Free Press, 1996.
- Black Theatre USA: The Recent Period 1935–Today. Revised and Expanded Edition. Edited by James V. Hatch and Ted Shine. New York: The Free Press, 1996.
Schedule of Study
8/28 Wed:Class 1—Introduction: Goals, Requirements, Assignments
•In-class writing
•Carefully review syllabus and establish expectations
9/9 Mon:Class 2—What Is a Black Play?—Current Scholarship on Black Theatre
•Reading Due:
•David Krasner: “What Have We Learned?”
•Tavia Nyong’O: “Black Theatre’s Closet Drama”
•Glenda E. Gill: “The Transforming Power of Performing the Classics in Chocolate, 1949–1954”
•James V. Hatch: “The Color of Art”
•Suzan Lori-Parks: “New Black Math”
•In-class writing
9/11 Wed:Class 3—William Wells Brown and his African Grove Theatre
•Quiz #1
•Reading Due:
•Marvin McAllister: “Introduction,” White People Do not Know How to Behave at Entertainments Designed for Ladies & Gentlemen of Colour
•Jonathan Dewberry: “The African Grove and Theatre Company”
9/16 Mon:Class 4—Slavery and Antebellum Performances Part I—The Grove
•Quiz #2
•Reading Due:
•Ira Aldridge: The Black Doctor
•Errol G. Hill: “Ira Aldridge” (Excerpt)
9/17 Tue: Last day to drop classes without the grade of “W”9/18 Wed: Class 5—Slavery and Antebellum Performances Part II—Abolitionism
•Quiz #3
•Reading Due:
•William Wells Brown: The Escape; Or, A Leap for Freedom,
Acts 1 and 2
9/23 Mon: Class 6—Slavery and Antebellum Performances Part II—Abolitionism Continued
•Reading Due:
•William Wells Brown: The Escape; Or, A Leap for Freedom,
Acts 3 and 4
•DUE: FINAL PAPER PRODUCTION INFORMATION (Stage 1 on Blackboard)
9/25 Wed:Class 7—Slavery and Antebellum Performances Part III—
“Fugitive” Slaves
•Quiz #4
•Reading Due:
•Cynthia Griffin Wolff: “Passing beyond the Middle Passage: Henry "Box" Brown's Translations of Slavery”
•Jason Stupp: “Slavery and the Theatre of History: Ritual Performance on theAuction Block”
9/30 Mon:Class 8—Blackface Minstrelsy: T. D. Rice and Other White Minstrels
•Quiz #5
•Reading Due:
•T. D. Rice: Otello
•Griffin & Christy’s Minstrels: Othello
•Video/Audio Clips—Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Mickey Mouse, etc.
10/2 Wed:Class 9—Blackface Minstrelsy: The Dandy and the Fool
•Quiz #5
•Reading Due:
•Shipp and Dunbar: In Dahomey, Prologue and Act 1
•J.B.: “Bert Williams”
•Video/Audio Clips—Bert Williams Online
10/7 Mon:Class 10—Blackface Minstrelsy: The Dandy and the Fool Continued
•Reading Due:
•Shipp and Dunbar: In Dahomey, Acts 2 and 3
•Discuss Bert Williams in Ziedgeld’s Follies
•Video/Audio Clips—Bert Williams Online
10/9 Wed:Class 11—The Crisis and Defining Black Theatre: The Debate Between
W. E. B. Du Bois and Alain Locke
•Reading Due:
•Alain Locke: “Steps Toward the Negro Theatre”
•W. E. B. Du Bois: “Criteria of Negro Art”
•Locke and Du Bois: “The Younger Literary Movement”
10/15Tues:TUESDAY IS MONDAY
Class 12—Du Bois’s Pageants
•Reading Due:
•W. E. B. Du Bois: Star of Ethiopia
•W. E. B. Du Bois: George Washington and Black Folk
10/16 Wed:Class 13—MIDTERM EXAM
10/21 Mon:Class 14—Folk Plays
•Reading Due:
•Willis Richardson: The Chip Woman’s Fortune
•S. Randolph Edmonds: Old Man Pete
•Midterm evaluation
10/23 Wed:Class 15—Theatre and Activism: Anti-Lynching Dramas
•Quiz #7
•Reading Due:
•Angelina Weld Grimké: Rachel,Acts 1 and 2
10/24 Thurs:Venus performances (RESPONSE #1) begin today and continue through Saturday; AD Hall Theatre B
10/28 Mon:Class 16—Theatre and Activism: Anti-Lynching Dramas Continued
•Reading Due:
•Angelina Weld Grimké: Rachel,Act 3
•Georgia Douglas Johnson: Safe
10/30 Wed:Class 17—Theatre and Activism: Other Issues
•Reading Due:
•Willis Richardson: The Deacon’s Awakening
•Marita Odette Bonner: The Purple Flower
•DUE by 9:30am: RESPONSE PAPER #1 on Venus
•Post-show discussion: Venus
11/4 Mon:Class 18—Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance
•Quiz #8
•Reading Due:
•Langston Hughes: Mulatto
•Langston Hughes: Soul Gone Home
11/6 Wed:Class 19—Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance Continued
•Reading Due:
•Langston Hughes: Scottsboro, Limited
•Harry Elam, Jr.: “Black Theatre in the Age of Obama”
•Video/Audio Clips—The Scottsboro Boys (2010)
•In-class writing
11/8 Fri: Last day to drop classes with the grade of “W”11/11 Mon:Class 20—Harlem Renaissance and the Wild Parties
•Quiz #9
•Reading Due:
•Thurman and Rapp: Harlem Acts 1 and 2
11/13 Wed:Class 21—Harlem Renaissance and the Wild Parties Continued
•Reading Due:
•Thurman and Rapp: Harlem Act 3
•DUE: FINAL PAPER DRAFT (Stage 3 on Blackboard)
11/14 Thurs:Everything in the Garden performances (RESPONSE #2) begin today and continue through Saturday; AD Hall Theatre B
11/18 Mon:Class 22—The Family and Economic/Social Protest
•Quiz #10
•Reading Due:
•Green and Wright: Native Son Scenes 1–6
11/20 Wed:Class 23—The Family and Economic/Social Protest
•Quiz #11
•Reading Due:
•Green and Wright: Native Son Scenes 7–10
•In-class writing
•DUE by 9:30am: RESPONSE PAPER #2 on Everything in the Garden
•Post-show discussion: Everything in the Garden
11/25 Mon:Class 24—Bill Robinson and His Dancing Feet
•Reading Due:
•Marshall and Jean Stearns: “Bill Robinson: Up on His Toes”
11/27 Wed:WEDNESDAY IS FRIDAY: This class will not meet.
Happy Thanksgiving!
12/2 Mon:Class 25—Theodore Ward, the Federal Theatre Project, and Responding to Marcus Garvey
•Reading Due:
•Theodore Ward: Big White Fog Acts 1 and 2
•In-class writing
12/4 Wed:Class 26—Theodore Ward and the Federal Theatre Project Continued
•Reading Due:
•Theodore Ward: Big White Fog Act 3
12/5 Thurs:Godspell performances (RESPONSE #3) begin today and continue through Saturday; AD Hall Theatre B
12/9 Mon:Class 27—The Living Newspaper Bites Back
•Reading Due:
•Silvera and Hill: Liberty Deferred
•In-class writing
12/11 Wed:Class 28—Final class
•Reading Due:
•To be determined
•DUE: FINAL PAPER ON OFF-CAMPUS PRODUCTION (Stage 4 on Blackboard)
•DUE by 9:30am: RESPONSE PAPER #1 on Godspell
•Post-show discussion: Godspell
•You will share where your research projects ended up and final class celebration
Breaux • THTR 23200, Section C, Code #34731