African American Contemporary Theatre

  • Porgy and Bess By George Gershwin

    Porgy and Bess By George Gershwin
    Porgy and Bess was based out of North Carolina in 1912. Bess who is a black woman with a disreputable history tries to break free from her brutish lover Crown. This is when she finds out he becomes wanted for murder. The only person who is willing to overlook her past and offer her shelter is the crippled Porgy. Porgy and Bess' relationship is at the disapproval of the community because Porgy is a black street beggar. Porgy tries to rescue Bess from her violent, possessive lover and drug dealer.
  • Single Black Woman Lisa B. Thompson

    Single Black Woman Lisa B. Thompson
    This theatrical story is about two middle class African American females who try and find love, clothes and their dignity in a world that fails recognize them for who they are.
  • Uppa Creek By Keli Garrett

    This theatrical play takes place on and old southern plantation. housekeeper Hattie McDaniel is planning to retire soon. This means that Hattie would be turning her household chores over to the young slave Hepthesput. She ends up having a strong rebellious spirit, but quickly learns that one of her main responsibilities is to provide sexual favors for her master and his son. Because of this throughout her days she plans revenge by creating this poisonous tea she feed to his wife and daughter.
  • Levee James By S. M. Shephard Massat

    Levee James By S. M. Shephard Massat
    Levee James takes place in the deep south during the 1920s. This play is about a girl who ran away and has lived as a housemaid in Atlanta and is supposedly living the high lift in the city. But the professional servitude and off-duty social snobbery among her fellow black domestics. She ends up back home where she is happily relaxing back “home,” even while bearing the weight of several hidden agendas.
  • Fabulation, or the Re-education of Undine By Lynn Nottage

    Fabulation, or the Re-education of Undine By Lynn Nottage
    This theatrical play is about a woman named Undine. She is talking with her accountant about her recent material status and says she woke one morning and discovered her husband had left her. She then realizes that her ex-husband had been taking money out of her account and may end up having to file for bankruptcy. With that being said she would lose her public relations company she spent fourteen years building up.
  • Blue Door By Tanya Barfield

    Blue Door By Tanya Barfield
    Blue Door is a theatrical play that only uses two actors to portray the role of many more. This play is about an African American math professor who tries his hardest to ignore the racism around him daily. The simple description of conversation at a departmental party disturbingly captures some of the discomfort that a minority faculty member must endure.
  • HooDoo Love Katori Hall

    HooDoo Love Katori Hall
    HooDoo Love is a story that takes place during the 1930s in Memphis. This is a story of not only love but magic, jealousy, as well as secrets. When Toulou decides to leave the Mississippi cotton field to follow through with her dream of singing the blues in Memphis. She ends up meeting a rambling blues man when she gets there. It is at this is when she realizes her dreams are realized in a way she could never have imagined.
  • Blacktop Sky by Christina Anderson

    Blacktop Sky by Christina Anderson
    Blacktop Sky produced by Christina Anderson was the story about three young adults. When the police get involved with a nearby street vendor, Ida sparks an interest in a nearby homeless man who sleeps on a street bench. This is then when a unexpected friendship between the three causes a break in the social structure and for a few immeasurable moments inverts the Blacktop and the Sky.
  • Carnaval By Nikkole Salter

    Carnaval By Nikkole Salter
    This theatrical play takes place in Brooklyn New York in 1955 when two men had experienced the loss of their best friend. They decided in order to keep his memory alive they would agree to take care of their best friend's little brother. No matter their differences. The group also decided that they would meet up every year on the anniversary of his death to celebrate the life their friend should have had.