Blackness and Ethnic Representation in Broadway Theater – MetroFocus

Theatre professional and producer A. Prescod-Lovell. Photo by John Midgley

I have worked in and adjacent to the theater industry for approximately seven years. Within that time, I have frequently been in rooms where I am the only Black person. Through my previous work in theater journalism, I have worked to promote a more inclusive and diverse industry, a cause that is both dear to my heart and imperative to the field. And I am here to tell you, forget everything you previously learned about Broadway. Historical documentation of the grand ole Great White Way is incomplete. While the term, inspired by the bright white lights illuminating the grand theater houses in Manhattan, had nothing to do with Broadways lack of racial diversity, it set the tone for what the industry would become. Yet the success of Broadway and the wider theatrical landscape owes in no small part to the brilliance of Black people and the stories written, developed, and performed by them.

Many believe the historical presence of Blacks in New York theater began with the minstrel shows of the early 1830s. However, it was Whites who initially wrote, produced, and acted in blackface in those productions, specifically for White-only audiences. Black people found minstrelsy troubling and dehumanizing because the shows portrayed racially stereotyped Negro life comically and derogatorily.

What is not largely known is that the Black theater experience preceded minstrelsy including one of the most commercially successful theaters that catered to Black narratives, created by Caribbean immigrants living in New York City. In 1821, William Alexander Brown and John Hewlett, two free Black men from the West Indies, co-founded the African Grove Theatre in Lower Manhattan, responding to the need for stories that provided a sense of dignity for Black people. The two men entertained and educated diverse audiences with a range of theatrical productions, including Shakespearean works. A young Ira Aldridge, an American-born British actor who became the first Black actor to achieve international success, got his start at the Grove.

Vaudeville performers Bert Williams (left) and George Walker, pioneers in Black theater and community empowerment.

Another pioneering individual was George Walker. In 1908 at his home in Harlem, Walker founded the African American Theatrical Organization, primarily to improve the professional standing of Blacks. Walker and his business partner Bert Williamsa key figure in the development of Black entertainmenthad starred in In Dahomey: A Negro Musical Comedy, the first full-length all-Black musical comedy to play in a prominent Broadway theatre. The musical debuted at the former New York Theatre on February 18, 1903. Though the production ran for only 53 performances on Broadway, it would move to tour successfully in England for four years. Walker understood then the only way to survive on The Great White Way was to organize an all-Black network and become self-sufficient.

Eighteen years later, Blacks would produce, write, direct, and star in Shuffle Along, an all-Black production that would revolutionize the theater industry. The Broadway production Shuffle Along ran for 504 performances from May 23, 1921, to July 15, 1922, at the 63rd Street Music Hall (the City demolished the theater in 1957). Once the production closed on Broadway, it went on to tour for three years. Not only did Shuffle Along promote the brilliant songwriting team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, and creative librettists F.E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles, the show exposed the exceptional artistry of Josephine Baker, Adelaide Hall, Hall Johnson, Florence Mills, William Grant Still, Will Vodery, and Paul Robeson, among others.

By the 1960s, while Blacks proudly proclaimed Black Power and protested for their civil rights, a new Black theater form emerged from the struggle. The groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun set the stage for the Black Theater Movement of the 1960s. Lorraine Hansberrys story of a loving Chicago Black family showcases the real-life challenges of racism and housing discrimination. The production opened at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on March 11, 1959, making Hansberry the first Black woman writer to have her play on Broadway.

Playwright August Wilson also wrote brilliantly about the complexity of racism in America. Wilson wholeheartedly embraced the larger Black Arts Movement that poet and playwright Amiri Baraka elevated by drawing attention to the revolutionary advances in Black music, literature, drama, and the visual arts. In 1968 in Pittsburgh, Wilson co-founded and directed the Black Horizons Theatre (BHT) along with a group of student activists to provide space for Black performers to reflect their points of view. Modeled on Barakas Black Arts Repertory Theater in Harlem, New York, and Spirit House in Newark, New Jersey, the BHT featured plays by noted writers Ed Bullins, Sonia Sanchez, Baraka, and others.

These stories provide merely a brief overview of some of the numerous contributions and essential inroads made by Blacks in the theater through the years. Amidst what felt like small wins in pioneering their own kind of theater, Blacks in the 21st century still find themselves lacking equity and equal representation at all levels on Broadway [and theater] beyond. As Forbes senior contributor Lee Seymour wrote in his 2020 piece, Were Not Going Back: Inside Broadways Racial Reckoning, The $15 billion industry has long styled itself a progressive bastion, yet maintains an overwhelmingly white leadership class and workforce.

As I observe Black people in theater fight for justice, they consistently vie for increased equality and inclusion in America. Ironically, the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the world in 2020 forced many people to examine and think seriously about their circumstances through a social justice lens, igniting a burning desire for change. The prevailing sentiment within many marginalized communities was that when the world does reopen, it cannot continue doing business as usual.

In the wake of George Floyds murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, a powerful call for change echoed across the United States, driving protesters into the streets to demand justice and declare that Black Lives Matter. At the same time, over 300 Black, Indigenous, AAPI, and Latino theater makers issued a blistering statement that called out Broadways systemic racism. The letter, accompanied by a petition signed by some of the industrys most elite power players, was led by an anonymous group of theater professionals called We See You White American Theatre. As the global pandemic and Broadways shutdown left countless theater employees struggling financially, these creatives of color finally reached a breaking point. They refused to be silenced any longer and demanded an end to the whitewashing of their industry.

In the wake of protests against the senseless, ongoing killings of unarmed Black people at the hands of police officers and White private citizens, theater artists like LaChanze, Audra McDonald, and Vanessa Williams united with a single question: How do we explain this to our kids? They elicited the support of their friends and the Broadway community and established Black Theater United (BTU) in June of 2020. Theater professionals including Wendell Pierce, Billy Porter, Phylicia Rashad, Norm Lewis, and others stood together with a mission to help protect Black people, Black theater, and Black lives of all shapes and orientations in communities across the country. From this, BTU would draft A New Deal for Broadway to advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of theater, from casting and production to leadership and management. The initiative also provides support and resources for Black artists, including avenues for mentorship and funding. Significantly, in 2023, BTU partnered with the City University of New York to launch year-two of The Broadway Marketing Internship Program, creating new opportunities for emerging Black talent.

In July of 2020, industry veterans Reggie Van Lee, T. Oliver Reid, and Warren Adams established the Black Theater Coalition (BTC) as a nonprofit entity dedicated to increasing Black representation in theater by 500 percent by 2030. Through mentorship, training, and networking opportunities, BTC works to create a pipeline for Black artists to attain leadership positions in the theater industry. In March 2023, BTC announced a partnership with AMC Networks for a Production and Casting Fellowship program for Black theater professionals looking to branch into the worlds of television and film. The Casting fellow will have a comprehensive learning experience in all aspects of the casting process. The Television production fellow will support AMCs development and production team with creative, technical, and organizational tasks. The fellowship, open to emerging Black storytellers in Atlanta or New York City, will commence on July 25, 2023.

This spirit of unity in the family, community, nation, and race has been a common theme throughout the history of People of Color, especially in theater. However, diversity isnt as simple as just black and white. The real question is, what else does it take for full representation?

When the theater is a place where all people are included, diversity is celebrated, and everyone has equal access to the theatrical experience. The theater can become an even more powerful force for social change and a beacon of hope in a world that is too often divided. It is up to us as audiences and stakeholders to ensure this potential is realized, so the theater will become a space where everyone is valued, and a great range of experiences are presented and documented. Then the theater of the future will take shape and the history books will include those stories.

By A. Prescod-Lovell

A. Prescod-Lovell is a Brooklyn-based theater professional, producer, and founder. She is the founder of OurBKSocial.com, a digital platform dedicated to showcasing the people and places of Brooklyn, New York. Prior to this, Ayanna worked as a freelance theater journalist with bylines in several esteemed publications such as Variety, Harpers Bazaar, Playbill, Theatermania, American Theatre, and Exeunt NYC. In addition, she served as a theater co-editor at The Brooklyn Rail. Ayannas experience in theater production also includes her role as co-producer on the Broadway production of Pass Over in 2021. Her passion for theater and Brooklyn culture is evident in all her work.

Community Connectionsexamines issues and ideas of meaning to diverse communities throughout New York City and across the United States. Presented by The WNET Group, home to Americas flagship PBS station.

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Blackness and Ethnic Representation in Broadway Theater - MetroFocus