THE STORY: Ten years before the time of the play The Mighty Gents had been a power in the streets of the Newark black ghetto--proud, feared and sure of the promise of the future. But now, at thirty, the glory years are gone, and the few Gents who st

Ernie McClintock and the Jazz Actors Family is a critical biography examining the life and work of Ernie McClintock, the founder of the Jazz Acting Method and 1997 recipient of the Living Legend Award from the National Black Theatre Festival, whose inclusive contributions to acting and actor training have largely remained on the fringes of scholarship and practice. Based on original archival research and interviews with McClintock’s students and peers, this book traces his life from his childhood in Chicago to Harlem in the 1960s at the height of the Black Arts Movement, to Richmond, Virginia in 2003, paying particular attention to his Black Power–influenced, culturally specific acting theory and versatile Black theatrical productions. As a biographical study, this book establishes McClintock as a leading figure of the Black Theatre Movement, proven by the Jazz Acting technique, his critically acclaimed productions, and his leadership positions in organizations such as the Black Theatre Alliance. Ernie McClintock and the Jazz Actors Family explores how the Jazz Acting technique was applied in productions such as N.R. Davidson’s El Hajj Malik, Derek Walcott’s Dream on Monkey Mountain, Cheryl West’s Before It Hits Home, Endesha Mae Holland’s From the Mississippi Delta, and many collectively-authored pieces. The book also investigates why he has been excluded from dominant theatre histories, especially considering how, as a gay Black man, he persistently defied the status quo, questioning practices of administrators of theatres and mainstream theatrical standards. Ernie McClintock and the Jazz Actors Family is situated at the intersection of Black acting theory, Black Arts Movement history, and Black queer studies, and is an illuminating study of an important figure for actors, acting teachers, acting students, and cultural historians. This is an essential resource for readers who are seeking histories and approaches outside of a white, straight, Eurocentric framework.

This anthology of five full-length plays collectively outlines a cultural history of black America in the post-Civil Rights era, from the late 20th century through the first decades of the 21st. Black Terror looks at the radical politics of the Black Power era; The Sirens, the destabilization of black familial and social life in the early 1970s; The Mighty Gents, the destructiveness of “black macho” in the late 1970s; The Talented Tenth, the midlife crisis and the end of idealism in the black middle class in the early 1980s; and Autumn, the new generational paradigm in black urban politics in the early 21st century. Each of the plays included in this anthology was born out of the idea of the public thinker, and what Arthur Miller would refer to as the importance of an individual conscience – as well as the belief that each generation must give back, must inform and inspire the generation that follows. No people – and certainly not the African Americans still striving and struggling in the 21st century – can thrive if they fail to adhere to that simple idea.

"This collection features 45 monologues excerpted from contemporary plays and specially geared for actors of color. Robert Uno has carefully selected the monologues so that there is a wide-range of ethnicities included: African American, Native American, Latino and Asian American. Each monologue comes with an introduction with notes on the characters and stage directions to set the scene for the actor."--Publisher.

A behind-the-scenes tour of the making of the Emmy-nominated television show Inside the Actors Studio describes the host and author's experiences during noteworthy interviews, from Christopher Reeve's first appearance after his accident to Robert De Niro's and Martin Scorsese's disclosures about their co-development of the famous mirror scene. 100,000 first printing.

BLACK ENTERPRISE is the ultimate source for wealth creation for African American professionals, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE delivers timely, useful information on careers, small business and personal finance.

Moving Parts offers actors the best monologues from great plays—pieces by both well-known and up-and-coming playwrights, including many minority artists—that offer a variety of dramatic styles for beginning and experienced actors. Included are more than a hundred monologues from such contemporary voices as Eric Bogosian, Caryl Churchill, Christopher Durang, Maria Irene Fornes, Athol Fugard, Philip Kan Gotanda, Václav Havel, Lanford Wilson, and George C. Wolfe. Designed for easy browsing, the monologues are indexed by gender, age, and subject to help actors locate appropriate material, and each is introduced with a short description of the plot, setting, and character type. These monologues stand on their own as good theater, while they give actors a well-defined character, a story to tell, and a wide range of behavior and feeling to portray.