Barbara Ann Teer and the National Black Theatre

While chronicling the development of Teer's National Black Theatre of Harlem, this study explores the National Black Theatre's quest to develop a new black theory of acting. Teer's theory of performance was realised in a theatre that combined elements of Pentacostal worship and African ritual, melding spontaneity from the performers, percussive music, singing, dancing, emotional expression from both actors and audience, and spectacle.

The National Black Theatre's major achievement is the creation of an original art form that helps African Americans identify with their roots and invites spontaneous audience interaction. The study offers the National Black Theatre as a model African American community theatre with valuable lessons for other theatres. The innovative methods of the National Black Theatre provide a model for enlightening and sensitising audiences to cultural diversity.

A pioneering institution, the National Black Theatre has proven itself over its 25-year history to be a cultural treasure and the quintessential theatre in Harlem. Also includes maps.

Barbara Ann Teer and the National Black Theatre features a bibliography and index, along with a foreword by Dr. Winona Fletcher, Professor Emeritus of Theatre and Drama and Afro-American Studies, and Founder of the National Black Theatre.