Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun

by Clifford Mason

In 1936 Orson Welles directed a celebrated all-black production of Macbeth that was hailed as a breakthrough for African Americans in the theater. For over a century, black performers had fought for the right to perform on the American stage, going all the way back to an 1820s Shakespearean troupe that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth, without relying on white patronage.

"Macbeth" in Harlem tells the story of these actors and their fellow black theatrical artists, from the early nineteenth century to the dawn of the civil rights era. For the first time we see how African American performers fought to carve out a space for authentic black voices onstage, at a time when blockbuster plays like Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Octoroon trafficked in cheap stereotypes. Though the Harlem Renaissance brought an influx of talented black writers and directors to the forefront of the American stage, they still struggled to gain recognition from an indifferent critical press.

Above all, "Macbeth" in Harlem is a testament to black artistry thriving in the face of adversity. It chronicles how even as the endemic racism in American society and its theatrical establishment forced black performers to abase themselves for white audiences’ amusement, African Americans overcame those obstacles to enrich the nation’s theater in countless ways.

Genres: Theatre

246 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2020

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is by no means a scholarly, unbiased presentation of history. I know nothing about the author, but he doesn’t seem to be an historian. This is an author with an axe to grind. “General American theater was not, at large, interested in any aspect of the black reality that could be exhibited as public art unless that act was degradation.” The book is full of broad generalizations and hyperbole. He recites random bits of African American history that have nothing to do with theater (Harriet Tubman, crispus Atticus, etc). The author is so angry and bitter that I don’t think that it is possible to get an actual view of the history of black theater from this book.

This is a subject that interests me and he did trace African American theater, but I don’t trust him. His arguments are too broad. For example, when he says that realistic portrayals of black life receive a cold reception on Broadway even in the 21st century the author ignores the appearance of realistic plays on Broadway like those of August Wilson. And the writing is not good. He changes tenses constantly, sometimes in the same paragraph. I gave up, but I hope someone else writes this history some day. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[RinTinTin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, informative, well-researched history of Black theater in the US.