Lost Plays of the Harlem Renaissance, 1920-1940

African American Life

by James V. Hatch (Editor), Leo Hamalian

This compilation of sixteen plays written during the Harlem Renaissance brings together for the first time the works of Langston Hughes, George S. Schuyler,
Francis Hall Johnson, Shirley Graham, and others. In the introduction, James V. Hatch sets the plays in a historical context as he describes the challenges presented to artists by the political and social climate of the time. The topics of the plays cover the realm of the
human experience in styles as wide-ranging as poetry, farce, comedy, tragedy, social realism, and romance. Individual introductions to each play provide essential biographical background on the playwrights.

In the continuing rediscovery of writers and works from the Harlem Renaissance, Lost Plays of the Harlem Renaissance 1920-1940 serves as essential background for contemporary readers and is a valuable contribution to African American literary and theatrical scholarship.

Genres: Drama

468 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first thing to understand about this book is that the plays have little connection to the Harlem Renaissance. The plays are not necessarily about inter-war Harlem, nor are they by artists from or living in Harlem, nor were they necessarily performed in Harlem. They are reflective of the overall African American Renaissance taking place across the nation. And by “lost” they are referring to plays that had not been previously published, had been lost soon after performance or may have never been performed at all.

The plays are not necessarily all about “the race issue.” They cover a wide range of topics. Several take a fascinating look at religion, The Pillar of the Church, You Mus’ Be Bo’n Ag’in, and Run Little Chillun’. All three are excellent explorations of the place of the church in African American life and the challenges to individual freedoms it imposed.

The plays by Langston Hughes are very good and I want to read more. I also enjoyed Shirley Graham’s radio play Track Thirteen, a very funny play providing a poignant insight into the life of African American train workers.

The book also contains a set of interesting short essays written between the wars about possibilities and hopes of black theatre.

While there isn’t any “must read” material this collection, it provides a good sample of the vibrant African American dramatic culture that flourished in in the nation between the World Wars.