Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches PDF
Preview Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches
Black Acting Methods Black Acting Methods offers a range of alternatives to the Euro-A merican per formance styles that many actors find themselves working with. These approaches are rooted in a critical framework that allows Afrocentric sensibil ities and experiences to excite and invigorate approaches to performative scholarship. A wealth of contributions from directors, scholars, and acting practitioners of color address Afrocentric processes and aesthetics, and responses from key figures in Black American theatre illuminate their methods. This ground- breaking collection is an essential resource for teachers, stu dents, actors and directors seeking to reclaim, reaffirm or even redefine the role and contributions of Black culture in theatre arts. Sharrell D. Luckett is Assistant Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies Scholarship at Muhlenberg College. Tia M. Shaffer is Fine Arts Chair and Theatre Director at South Atlanta High School in Atlanta Public Schools. Black Acting Methods Critical approaches Sharrell D. Luckett with Tia M. Shaffer First published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 aV nderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2017 Sharrell D. Luckett and Tia M. Shaffer The right of the editors to be identified as the author of the editorial matter, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. With the exception of Chapter 7, no part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Chapter 7 of this book is available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.routledge.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing- in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing-i n-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-90763-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-90762-1 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-69498-6 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear For Eboni, Our fiercely talented, gorgeous Black friend whose White director of her MFA program told her during her exit interview: “I must admit, I didn’t know how to teach you.” Contents List of figures ix Notes on contributors x Foreword: the Blessing xvi MolEFi KETE ASAnTE Acknowledgments xviii Introduction: the Affirmation 1 SHArrEll D. luCKETT AnD TiA M. SHAFFEr Methods of social activism 17 1 The Hendricks Method 19 SHArrEll D. luCKETT AnD TiA M. SHAFFEr 2 SoulWork 37 CriSTAl CHAnEllE TruSCoTT 3 Nudging the memory: creating performance with the Medea Project: Theatre for Incarcerated Women 51 rHoDESSA JonES 4 Art saves lives: Rebecca Rice and the performance of Black feminist improv for social change 72 liSA BiggS Methods of intervention 87 5 Seeing Shakespeare through brown eyes 89 JuSTin EMEKA viii Contents 6 Ritual Poetic Drama within the African Continuum: the journey from Shakespeare to Shange 106 TAwnyA PETTiForD- wATES 7 Remembering, rewriting, and re- imagining: Afrocentric approaches to directing new work for the theatre 123 ClinnESHA D. SiBlEy Methods of cultural plurality 137 8 The Hip Hop Theatre Initiative: We the Griot 139 DAniEl BAnKS 9 Kadogo Mojo: global crossings in the theatre 168 AKu KADogo 10 #UnyieldingTruth: employing culturally relevant pedagogy 184 KASHi JoHnSon AnD DAPHniE SiCrE Reflections from distinguished practitioners 201 11 Rituals, processes, methods 203 JuDyiE Al- BilAli, TiM BonD, SHElDon EPPS, SHirlEy Jo FinnEy, nATAKi gArrETT, AniTA gonzAlEz, PAul CArTEr HArriSon, roBBiE Mc CAulEy, SErET SCoTT, ToMMiE “TonEA” STEwArT AnD TAlvin wilKS 12 Words of wisdom for actors 213 TAlvin wilKS, SHElDon EPPS, SHirlEy Jo FinnEy, wAlTEr DAllAS, KAMilAH ForBES, KyM MoorE, JuDyiE Al- BilAli, TiM BonD, nATAKi gArrETT, PAul CArTEr HArriSon, AniTA gonzAlEz, ron HiMES AnD SErET SCoTT Appendix: recommendations for acting/performance programs that seek to provide equitable training 219 Index 221 Figures 1.1 Freddie Hendricks 21 1.2 Juel D. lane and the cast of Times, Freddie Hendricks youth Ensemble of Atlanta, 2004 32 2.1 Scene from Progress Theatre’s neo- Spiritual The Burnin’, written and directed by Cristal Chanelle Truscott: (l–r) Cristal Chanelle Truscott, Carlton Turner, Tiana Kaye Johnson, rebekah Stevens, Derrick Brent ii 49 3.1 rhodessa Jones demonstrating “Dancing is” and “There is a ladder” exercises 63 3.2 The cast of “BirTHrigHT.” The Medea Project, 2015 69 6.1 Tawnya Pettiford- wates leading a studio class at the university Kwazulu- natal in Durban, South Africa in the Drama and Performance Studies Department in 2013 116 8.1 The company of Re/Rites: A Devised Theatre Piece Celebrating Hip Hop Culture at new york university 142 9.1 nura ward with Aku Kadogo, Ernabella, South Australia, 2013 170 9.2 nura ward with Aku Kadogo, Ernabella, South Australia, 1999 172
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