Black Theater Through The Years

There are some Black Plays I heard about in a discussion the other night I wish I would have been old enough to see by the description of them.

These two older gentlemen were talking about different topics and spontaneously the topic of Black Theater from the 60s and 70s came up. The conversation was so interesting I have to look these up on the net to see what I missed. I had to quickly get out a piece of paper and pencil to jot down as many as I could as they were talking about them.

Some they mentioned were:

Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death by Melvin Van Peebles.

Day of Absence by Douglass Turner Ward.

The Dutchman by Leroi Jones aka Amiri Baraka.

The African Company Presents Richard III.

Rashomon - A play based on the Japanese film. This version they mentioned was done by a Black Theater Company.

Revolutionary Notes by Julius Lester.

The Electronic N----- by Ed Bullins.

Midnight, Friday the 13th.

House of Numbers and No Place To Be Somebody which starred Phillip Michael Thomas way before he did Miami Vice. They were saying the world still has no idea what a great stage actor he is.

Some of the other actors they mentioned were Woody Strode, Bernie Casey and Lincoln Kirkpatrick.

Some of the black plays I remembered our Mom took us to or either we heard about growing up were: The Wiz, Sarafina, Porgy and Bess, Raisin In The Sun, Purlie!, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enough, Bubblin' Brown Sugar, Dreamgirls, Fences, A Soldier's Story, Checkmates, Five Guys Named Moe, etc.

Are there some memorable Black Plays or Black Musicals that you remember, saw or were part of in your life? Feel free to chime in on the comment section.