The Blackface Minstrels were the first great forms of American Theatrical entertainment with no outside influences. Today in 2007, the history of American minstrelsy is rarely taught in schools, due to it’s controversial nature. This is particularly true among the students of thousands of high schools and colleges, as this forgotten pastime is purposely omitted from many historic textbooks. In 2003, I wrote and performed a play called The Dance, which condenses 100 years of minstrel history into a one-hour performance. Since the 2005 Los Angeles premier, The Dance has gathered outstanding reviews, NAACP nominations, and the LA Weekly’s Best Directed, Best Ensemble, and Best Playwright of the Year award nominations !

About the Play

The Dance is an educational play based upon the history of American Minstrelsy. This history is conveyed to the audience, but from the perspectives of two stock minstrel clowns, who perform this history as a historic minstrel production. Using authentic past and present day images, and with a text developed from 6 years of research, the audience ends up making comparisons between past-day minstrelsy, and the lingering perceptions that still exist today!