{"product_id":"macbeth-in-harlem-clifford-mason-9781978809994","title":"Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun","description":"\u003cb\u003e2020 George Freedley Memorial Award Special Jury Prize from the Theatre Library Association​\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e2021 PROSE Awards Finalist, Music \u0026amp; the Performing Arts\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In 1936 Orson Welles directed a celebrated all-black production of \u003ci\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/i\u003e that was hailed as a breakthrough for African Americans in the theater. For over a century, black performers had fought for the right to perform on the American stage, going all the way back to an 1820s Shakespearean troupe that performed \u003ci\u003eRichard III\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOthello\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMacbeth\u003c\/i\u003e, without relying on white patronage. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Macbeth\" in Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e tells the story of these actors and their fellow black theatrical artists, from the early nineteenth century to the dawn of the civil rights era. For the first time we see how African American performers fought to carve out a space for authentic black voices onstage, at a time when blockbuster plays like \u003ci\u003eUncle Tom's Cabin\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Octoroon\u003c\/i\u003e trafficked in cheap stereotypes. Though the Harlem Renaissance brought an influx of talented black writers and directors to the forefront of the American stage, they still struggled to gain recognition from an indifferent critical press. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Above all, \"\u003ci\u003eMacbeth\" in Harlem\u003c\/i\u003e is a testament to black artistry thriving in the face of adversity. It chronicles how even as the endemic racism in American society and its theatrical establishment forced black performers to abase themselves for white audiences' amusement, African Americans overcame those obstacles to enrich the nation's theater in countless ways.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Clifford Mason\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1978809999\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781978809994\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Rutgers University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/12\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 246\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.10lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.40h x 6.20w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2021","brand":"Clifford Mason","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":43991409885439,"sku":"9781978809994","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_a1b28fbc-07c3-453f-a37e-2871cb916126.jpg?v=1683310127","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/macbeth-in-harlem-clifford-mason-9781978809994","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}