Contemporary Black Theatre (1900 - Present) - Sexton, Kennedy

  • 1926- Founding of the Harlem Renassiance Players

    The Harlem Renaissance Players gave Black artists a platform to perform stories that reflected Black life. Their work helped spark national attention toward Black creativity and theatre (Smith, 2020).
  • 1931 – Federal Theatre Project: Negro Units

    Part of the New Deal, the FTP’s Negro Units hired thousands of Black actors, directors, and technicians. It was one of the first government-funded platforms to support Black theatre (Jones, 2019).
  • 1959 – Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

    The first play by a Black woman on Broadway, it spotlighted racial injustice, family, and identity. Its success opened doors for future Black playwrights (Hansberry, 1959).
  • 1966 – Founding of the Negro Ensemble Company

    This company nurtured dozens of Black playwrights, actors, and directors, producing works that challenged stereotypes and explored the Black experience (Wilson, 2003).
  • 1976 – Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls…

    This choreopoem blended poetry, music, and dance to give voice to Black women’s stories of struggle and survival. It redefined traditional theatre structure (Shange, 1976).
  • 1984 – August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

    Part of his ten-play cycle, Wilson explored African American life through history and music. His plays became essential to American theatre and culture (Wilson, 1984).
  • 1991 – George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum

    This satirical play tackled Black stereotypes and cultural identity. Wolfe’s work became a turning point in blending humor and critical social commentary (Wolfe, 1991).
  • 2006 – Founding of the National Black Theatre Festival (expanded reach)

    This biennial festival brought together Black theatre artists globally, helping to preserve and grow Black theatrical voices and celebrate cultural pride (Allen, 2010).
  • 2016 – Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda (diverse casting impact)

    Though not a Black playwright, Miranda’s casting of Black and Brown actors in founding father roles reshaped expectations of race in American theatre (Brown, 2017).
  • 2020 – Broadway Shutdown & Rise of Black Theatre United

    During the pandemic, Black Theatre United was created to address racial injustice in theatre institutions, showing the continued activism of Black artists (Jackson, 2021).