What are the significance of African American theater and culture from Essay

What are the significance of African American theater and culture from both a national and global perspective - Essay Example Their storytelling, dance,music and performance was a vital tool to motivate the slaves as they worked on tobacco and sugar cane plantations, mines and salt flats. Eventually as theater developed from the African ancestry of Greek tragedy of Shakespearean epics, American stages have created a broad series of plays, mostly prejudiced by the diverse population inhabiting this nation (Hill, 2004). Impacts realized through theatre performance in themes of African American plays The free southern theatre’s production of a play, by the name slave ship, reviewed the history of African American in the United States and deliberately dived audience along racial lines, (Baraka 1968) a symbolic slave ship was created in the center of the large playing area, with close seating, on all sides. The grasp of the ship, where slave bodies were piled in overcrowded quarters, was eye point with the audience portraying the merciless situation on board. During a created slave auction, female slaves were undressed topless and pushed at American men in the audience, who were inquired what they considered the women were valued. Many white audience members were so distressed by this violent argument with history that they created at early days; others hoped they had a chance to experience. At the end of the play, actors, involved black power actions, bringing on board the black audience members to join them in surrounding the white audience, while shouting for aggressive rebellion. At many performances, black audience members, felt empowered and motivated by the presentation, they joined the actors in shouting and frightening white spectators. Many white members felt endangered and irritated that they had paid to be battered, or felt powerless to express their compassion with the blacks in a mood of hostility. This play was meant to incite different reactions from different audience participants to educate the experience of history, and racism could not assist but power the audience’s experience of the play. These kinds of plays were used to polarize the audience along racial lines (Baraka 1968). Through the plays racism was discouraged in the United States through pre-active measures to prevent hostility among the citizens despite their race or origin. Once more, many white audience members were evidently shaken by the direct quarrel. This brought unity among the immigrants and the natives around the country and at a global level. The African American evolutions of theater presentations lead to the audiences have a freedom to choose to have control of their personal experience and choose where to focus during the performances. The spectators had the choice to decide what they want to focus on, either on the background themes such as light effects or to concentrate on the actor’s performance. This led the directors and stage actors develop mechanisms to compel l the performances so that the spectator s does not mix up their understanding. As the earlier directors took advantage of audience concentration they reduced the confrontation that dominated the previous performances in America (Hill, 2004). The open-air daytime performances in ancient Greece took place in a celebratory atmosphere in which social relations, drinking, and eating were all part of a daylong theatre occasion. Such events created an avenue for people from different races, cultures and tribes to interact, leading to exchange of cultural practices among them. This created a strong bond and a harmonious coexistence. In olden Rome, theatre was performed at religious celebration that presented a massive collection of entertainments. Both secular and sacred, arts were meant to