Black Female Playwrights - Part IV

So let's take a closer look at the black female playwrights. Looking at the third row (and moving across) we have...

Radha Blank

Not so long ago, I saw Radha Blank's SEED at the National Black Theatre in Harlem. No doubt, I will be keeping an eye out for this child of Hip Hop. 

Adrienne Kennedy

There was a production of Adrienne Kennedy's Funnyhouse of a Negro at the Classical Theatre of Harlem in 2006. According to a New York Times review, the work from 1964 is "...still a fearlessly innovative piece of theater...". Need I say anymore about this playwright

Alice Childress

 

I read Alice Childress' A Hero Ain't Nothin' but A Sandwich when I was in school but admittedly did not know anything about her plays until now. According to Wikipedia, she is the first black woman to have a play produced professionally. Pretty amazing distinction. 

Dael Orlandersmith

Known for Beauty's Daughter and Yellowman, this writer-performer was the finalist for the Pulitzer prize in the same year that Suzan-Lori Parks won the prestigious prize. How about that! Yellowman was mounted at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2002. I am so so sorry that I missed this piece which explored the dynamics between light and dark skinned blacks.

Update 11/14/2011: Ms. Orlandersmith's new play - Horsedreams - plays from November 9 - December 11th at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. Sure hope that I will be able to fit it in my schedule.