Ted Shine (1931–2018)

A compendium of plays by black authors for black theatre; some of these did make it to Broadway. The plays are well written and interesting for the most part, though as in all such collections there will be some that do not hit the spot, some because they are so dated, and some because they just aren't the sort of play I like. The informational introduction to each play was informative and concise; it is what such things should be, rather than the dissertation-length pretentious introductions usually provided as introductions to plays and play collections. The editors realized that the reader of the plays was interested in the plays, and not how smart the editor was. The information helped put each play into the context of its time and place in the world, and gave some background on the author that could help with plays that might not have felt coherent otherwise. Highly recommended for students of theatre, or of black history or literature.… (meer)