African Culture

• It helps to understand the African-American experience by first understanding indigenous African cultures. "Anansi the Spider and the Middle Passage" by Frank Higgins blends traditional African storytelling with a narrative about captive Africans being sent to America as slaves. "Tale of the Mouse" by Anita Gustafson also showcases a traditional African folk tale and the play involves work with traditional masks.
  
  

Plays that Deal with Slavery

• While not strictly a play, the miniseries "Roots" based on the book by Alex Haley is a hallmark of powerful and provocative writing about the American Slavery experience. The one-act "Lizzie's Story" created by PBS may be most suitable for younger students (See resources for the full script).
  
  

Plays about Civil Rights and Integration

• "A Land Beyond the River" by Loften Mitchell concerns integration in American schools. Mitchell was a prolific writer, and this play in particular is excellent for educators because it deals with an historic court case involving segregation and South Carolina schoolteacher Joseph DeLaine.
  A dark and disturbing play about integration is Amiri Baraka's "Dutchman". Considered incendiary at the time, it still resonates today. His other works include "The Toilet," "The Baptism," and "The Slave."
  For an ambitious syllabus, August Wilson's 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle follows the rise and fall of an African-American community from the 1900s to the 1990s, and includes masterworks like "Fences" and "The Piano Lesson".
  There is also a stage version of Harper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird", which contains racial themes guaranteed to spark spirited discussions.
  
  

Historical Figures

• Many students are required to do reports on famous African-Americans during Black History Month. A biographical play about some of these figures can really help to bring history to life. One such play is "Peanutman" by Frank Higgins, which dramatizes the accomplishments of George Washington Carver. The piece is written to use a great deal of audience participation, which makes it highly accessible to younger students.
  Several plays that revolve around Rosa Parks are available, including "Let Me Have Those Front Seats" by Emily Coble. (see Resources for full text).
  
  

Female Perspectives

• The range of African-American female perspectives in drama is truly astonishing. No list of worthy American playwrights is complete without mentioning "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry. Hansberry was the first female African-American playwright to have a play produced in Broadway. Other notable female African-American playwrights include Ntozake Shange ("For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf", which won a Obie Award) and Alice Childress ("String" and "Wedding Band: A Love/Hate Story in Black and White").