A beautiful pageant : African American theatre, drama, and performance in the Harlem Renaissance, 1910-1927

The Harlem Renaissance was an unprecedented period of vitality in the American Arts. Defined as the years between 1910 and 1927, it was the time when Harlem came alive with theater, drama, sports, dance and politics. Looking at events as diverse as the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim 'White Hope' Jeffries, the choreography of Aida Walker and Ethel Waters, the writing of Zora Neale Hurston and the musicals of the period, Krasner paints a vibrant portrait of those years. This was the time when the residents of northern Manhattan were leading their downtown counterparts at the vanguard of artistic ferment while at the same time playing a pivotal role in the evolution of Black nationalism. This is a thrilling piece of work by an author who has been working towards this major opus for years now. It will become a classic that will stay on the American history and theater shelves for years to come. Front Matter....Pages i-xii African American Performance in the Harlem Renaissance....Pages 1-14 Front Matter....Pages 15-16 Men in Black and White: Race and Masculinity in the Heavyweight Title Fight of 1910....Pages 17-54 Exoticism, Dance, and Racial Myths: Modern Dance and the Class Divide in the Choreography of Aida Overton Walker and Ethel Waters....Pages 55-80 “The Pageant Is the Thing”: Black Nationalism and The Star of Ethiopia....Pages 81-94 Front Matter....Pages 95-96 Walter Benjamin and the Lynching Play: Mourning and Allegory in Angelina Weld Grimké’s Rachel....Pages 97-111 Migration, Fragmentation, and Identity: Zora Neale Hurston’s Color Struck and the Geography of the Harlem Renaissance....Pages 113-130 The Wages of Culture: Alain Locke and the Folk Dramas of Georgia Douglas Johnson and Willis Richardson....Pages 131-163 Front Matter....Pages 165-166 “In the Whirlwind and the Storm”: Marcus Garvey and the Performance of Black Nationalism....Pages 167-187 Whose Role Is It, Anyway?: Charles Gilpin and the Harlem Renaissance....Pages 189-205 “What Constitutes a Race Drama and How May We Know It When We Find It?”: The Little Theatre Movement and the Black Public Sphere....Pages 207-238 Shuffle Along and the Quest for Nostalgia: Black Musicals of the 1920s....Pages 239-288 Conclusion: The end of “Butter Side Up”....Pages 289-292 Back Matter....Pages 293-370 The Harlem Renaissance was the Time When Harlem Came Alive with theatre, drama, sports, dance, and politics. David Krasner paints a vibrant portrait of the exciting years 1910 to 1927 and the diverse events they encompassed: the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim "White Hope" Jeffries; the first glimpse of new dance styles pioneered by Aida Overton Walker and Ethel Waters; the social significance of Zora Neale Hurston's play, Color Struck; and the extravagant production of Star of Ethiopia pageants that emphasized African heritage. These were the fertile years when the residents of northern Manhattan were at the vanguard of artistic ferment, leading their downtown counterparts while at the same time playing a pivotal role in one of the most important political movements of the twentieth century: black nationalism. A Beautiful Pageant is a thrilling piece of work that lets us see the heady years of the Harlem Renaissance in a new and compellingly political light. It is a classic destined to become the standard work on the subject for years to come. "The Harlem Renaissance was the time when Harlem came alive with theatre, drama, sports, dance and politics. David Krasner paints a vibrant portrait of the exciting years 1910 to 1927 and the diverse events they encompassed: the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim "White Hope" Jeffries; the first glimpse of new dance styles pioneered by Aida Overton Walker and Ethel Waters; the social significance of Zora Neale Hurston's play, Color Struck; and the extravagant productions of Star of Ethiopia pageants that emphasized African heritage. These were the fertile years when the residents of northern Manhattan were at the vanguard of artistic ferment, leading their downtown counterparts while at the same time playing a pivotal role in one of the most important political movements of the twentieth century: black nationalism."--BOOK JACKET. Annotation The Harlem Renaissance, from 1910 to 1927, was the time when Harlem came alive with theater, drama, sports, dance, and politics. Looking at events as diverse as the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim "White Hope" Jeffries, the choreography of Aida Walker and Ethel Waters, the writing of Zora Neale Hurston and the musicals of the period, Krasner paints a vibrant portrait of those years. This was the time when the residents of northern Manhattan were leading their downtown counterparts at the vanguard of artistic ferment while at the same time playing a pivotal role in the evolution of Black Nationalism. This is a thrilling piece of work, a classic destined to become the standard work on the Harlem Renaissance for years to come A history of the performances and entertainments that fueled the Harlem Renaissance covers such topics as the prizefight between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries, the choreography of Aida Walker and Ethel Waters, and the writing of Zora Neal Hurston. Reprint. This work brings together themes underlying black theatre, performance, and drama from 1910 to 1927.