The Jamaïcan stage, 1655-1900: profile of a colonial theatre

The Jamaican Stage, 1655-1900 focuses on the history of theater in Jamaica, and highlights the developmental process that occurred in the Caribbean from colonialism through the struggles for independence to the establishment of a cultural identity. In the book, Hill shows a gradual transition from a theatre that was once dominated by the form and content of English and North American companies to the beginnings of more traditional cultural expression characteristic of peasants. He further considers the traditional practices of the working class people to be the source of inspiration for an indigenous art form. The Jamaican Stage also provides a history of theatre spaces, touring and local companies, professional actors and actresses, and early playwrights in Jamaica. "A distinguished scholar here offers a thorough lively account of the Jamaican stage, arguably the most prominent theatre of its kind in the British colonies through 1900. Errol Hill discusses the struggle to maintain viable playhouses, the fortunes of visiting professional troupes, and the emergence of an indigenous theatre. He documents the plays written and produced through the end of the nineteenth century, presenting them against the background of a society emerging in the 1830s from a slave-holding system. He also explores the rituals, festivals, and other forms of entertainment enjoyed by the broad underclass of Jamaicans, most of whom were slaves or slave descendants, and who today number over 90 percent of the island's population." "By examining the record of theatrical production on the one hand, and the variety of indigenous performance on the other, Hill shows how a synthesis of native and foreign elements has occurred. He calls particular attention to the use of the Creole language, new performance patterns, and the integration of music, dance, mime, and masking. In the Epilogue, he extends his discussion to the anglophone Caribbean which has become politically independent of Britain."--Jacket. An account of the Jamaican stage, the most prominent theatre of its kind in the British colonies through 1900. It discusses the struggle to maintain viable playhouses, the fortunes of visiting professional troupes, the emergence of an indigenous theatre, and the plays written and produced.