Black Theatre Premise and Presentation

9780932269942

093226994X

"Our intention", explain the Mollettes", is to describe the nature of African American theatre as an expression of culture and a medium for communicating values. We have divided this book into two sections. Part One, PREMISE, describes the terms and concepts needed to examine African American theatre from an Afrocentric point of view. Essential to that discourse is an understanding of culture and values and their impact upon an individual's point of view and subsequent interpretation of what is seen and heard. We cite examples of historical interpretations and analyses to illustrate the differences in these statements of evaluation that result from variations in culture and values. Part Two, Presentation, delineates values that influence theatrical presentations by and for African Americans and their impact upon style, form, and the performance environment. The values of specific cultures also control concepts such as space and time that are crucial to the way in which performance art is perceived. Both Afrocentric and Eurocentric concepts of time and space are described in order to contrast Afrocentric and Eurocentric conventions of theatrical presentations".