Race in the US Theatre04/16/2015 ° Thoughts on Race Race is BOTH a social construct and something that deeply affects people’s lives Tend to think of black and white and forget the other categories that exist o Many immigrant groups seen as “other” when they come to US o As we move forward in time, we’ll see more theatre by a broader range of ethnic groups o Counted as “white” changes throughout history-immigrants not given same rights ° °19thand Early 20thCenturies representations of people of color generally involve stereotypes, caricatures (think Minstrelsy) o Frequently performed by white actors in exaggerated make up o Primarily for white audiences o Primarily by white for white Some spaces for non-white performers to experiment with more “serious” drama, generally for audiences of their own ethnicity o The African Grove Theatre (New York, founded 1821) Blacks showing that they should be taken seriously as artists o Many Jewish/Yiddish theatres in NY starting in 1880s Comic traditions Central to the development of comedic theatre at the time (i.e. Vaudeville) ° ° Theatre and the Civil Rights Movements
