Black Face White stage: a subaltern discourse on race in the American theater

Abstract

The American theater is a place of possibilities. As such, it utilizes performative discourses to develop and propagate values, beliefs, identities, and ways of being. While the historical significance of the American theater leaves little room for debate, its continued dependency on Eurocentric values, vantages, and aesthetics is now being called into question. Still, there remains a dearth of research exploring the roles/impacts of race within the profession. This study addresses this gap by exploring the professional/educational experiences of 18 African-Americans within the profession. Results include experiences of Normative-whiteness, Personal-disembodiment, and Professional-despondence. Implications for the American Theater are also discussed.

Keywords

• American Theater
• race
• Black
• African-American
• Performing-arts
• Theatre