
Acting Up and Getting Down
Plays by African American Texans
University of Texas Press
Published on 15. April 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
364 pages
978-0-292-75480-5 (ISBN)
Description
One of the few books of its kind, Acting Up and Getting Down brings together seven African American literary voices that all have a connection to the Lone Star state. Covering Texas themes and universal ones, this collection showcases often-overlooked literary talents to bring to life inspiring facets of black theatre history.
Capturing the intensity of racial violence in Texas, from the Battle of San Jacinto to a World War I-era riot at a Houston training ground, Celeste Bedford Walker's Camp Logan and Ted Shine's Ancestors provide fascinating narratives through the lens of history. Thomas Meloncon's Johnny B. Goode and George Hawkins's Br'er Rabbit explore the cultural legacies of blues music and folktales. Three unflinching dramas (Sterling Houston's Driving Wheel, Eugene Lee's Killingsworth, and Elizabeth Brown-Guillory's When the Ancestors Call) examine homosexuality, a death in the family, and child abuse, bringing to light the private tensions of intersections between the individual and the community.
Supplemented by a chronology of black literary milestones as well as a playwrights' canon, Acting Up and Getting Down puts the spotlight on creative achievements that have for too long been excluded from Texas letters. The resulting anthology not only provides new insight into a regional experience but also completes the American story as told onstage.
Capturing the intensity of racial violence in Texas, from the Battle of San Jacinto to a World War I-era riot at a Houston training ground, Celeste Bedford Walker's Camp Logan and Ted Shine's Ancestors provide fascinating narratives through the lens of history. Thomas Meloncon's Johnny B. Goode and George Hawkins's Br'er Rabbit explore the cultural legacies of blues music and folktales. Three unflinching dramas (Sterling Houston's Driving Wheel, Eugene Lee's Killingsworth, and Elizabeth Brown-Guillory's When the Ancestors Call) examine homosexuality, a death in the family, and child abuse, bringing to light the private tensions of intersections between the individual and the community.
Supplemented by a chronology of black literary milestones as well as a playwrights' canon, Acting Up and Getting Down puts the spotlight on creative achievements that have for too long been excluded from Texas letters. The resulting anthology not only provides new insight into a regional experience but also completes the American story as told onstage.
Reviews / Votes
"[A]n anthology featuring works by seven African-American playwrights with Texas connections. Acting Up and Getting Down showcases literary artists familiar to patrons of Houston's Ensemble Theatre, which has long supported African-American playwrights. Editors Sandra Mayo and Elvin Holt, professors at Texas State University, selected plays representing a broad range of themes, from racial violence to homosexuality to the legacy of the blues. Included are Celeste Bedford Walker's Camp Logan, Elizabeth Brown-Guillory's When the Ancestors Call, Thomas Meloncon's Johnny B. Goode, Eugene Lee's Killingsworth, George Hawkins's Br'er Rabbit and Sterling Houston's Driving Wheel. - Houston ChronicleMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Austin, TX
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-292-75480-5 (9780292754805)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
SANDRA MAYO is Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Theatre and Dance and Associate Professor of Theatre at Texas State University. ELVIN HOLT is Professor of English at Texas State University. Mayo has edited several scholarly books, and both authors have published numerous essays in the field.
Content
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Definition of Black Theatre
Camp Logan (Celeste Bedford Walker)
Johnny B. Goode (Thomas Meloncon)
Killingsworth (Eugene Lee)
Driving Wheel (Sterling Houston)
Br'er Rabbit (Adapted by George Hawkins)
When the Ancestors Call (Elizabeth Brown-Guillory)
Ancestors (Ted Shine)
Appendix A. Chronology
Appendix B. Playwrights' Canon
Publications That Include Plays by Black Texas Playwrights
Editor Biographies
Introduction: Definition of Black Theatre
Camp Logan (Celeste Bedford Walker)
Johnny B. Goode (Thomas Meloncon)
Killingsworth (Eugene Lee)
Driving Wheel (Sterling Houston)
Br'er Rabbit (Adapted by George Hawkins)
When the Ancestors Call (Elizabeth Brown-Guillory)
Ancestors (Ted Shine)
Appendix A. Chronology
Appendix B. Playwrights' Canon
Publications That Include Plays by Black Texas Playwrights
Editor Biographies