The Methuen Drama Book of Postblack Plays Play Anthologies

the long version

'Post-black' refers to a dynamic trend within contemporary black arts and letters to find novel and multiple expressions of blackness. Reflecting this multiplicity of perspectives, the plays in this collection explode conventional ways of representing black identities on the American stage, creating new means to consider the interplay of race with questions of class, gender, and sexuality. They engage and critique current definitions of black and African-American identity as well as previous limitations placed on what constitutes blackness and black theatre. Written by emerging stars of American theatre such as Eisa Davis, Marcus Gardley, and Young Jean Lee, the plays explore themes such as community and individuality, alienation and gentrification, and a reconciliation and belonging. They demonstrate a wide-range of formal and structural innovations for the American theatre and demonstrate the important ways in which contemporary playwrights are expanding the American dramatic canon with new and diverse means of representation. -- from back cover.