This new edition provides an expanded, comprehensive history of African American theatre, from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Including discussions of slave rebellions on the national stage, African Americans on Broadway, the Harlem Renaissance, African American women dramatists, and the New Negro and Black Arts movements, the Companion also features fresh chapters on significant contemporary developments, such as the influence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the mainstream successes of Black Queer Drama and the evolution of African American Dance Theatre. Leading scholars spotlight the producers, directors, playwrights, and actors who have fashioned a more accurate appearance of Black life on stage, revealing the impact of African American theatre both within the United States and around the world. Addressing recent theatre productions in the context of political and cultural change, it invites readers to reflect on where African American theatre is heading in the twenty-first century.

‘In recent years, African American theatre has surged as a vital force for community, protest, mourning, fury, and hope. This expanded edition examines Black theater's newest developments even as it remains the definitive resource for understanding the deep historical, political, and theoretical traditions that inform this contemporary theater making. An indispensable volume for students, experts, and fans alike.'

Shane Vogel - Yale University

‘In this second edition of The Cambridge Companion to African American Theatre, Young and his contributors sharpen the historical and contemporary lines of African American theatre across centuries of development. With the inclusion of essays that center black choreographers, black queer theater makers, and black theatrical activism in our current moment, Young cements new areas of deep and critical study within African American Theatre.'

Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon - Wesleyan University

‘The new edition of this essential text illustrates and anticipates the continued development of African American theatrical writing and performance, especially as it centralizes the significance of the contemporary Black Lives Matter movement and the unsilencing of discussions of Black sexuality and gender identification. Each essay in this volume compellingly showcases the discovery, recovery, and expansion of African American theatre history to intentionally demonstrate inclusivity and truth within annals of African American theatre history.'

Ladrica Menson-Furr - The University of Memphis