Plays of Black Americans

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-Originally published in 1987, this is a revision of a collection of 11 plays about historical events and notable African Americans. Two new plays have been added: Freedom Train, a dramatization of a white family that harbors fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad, and Langston Hughes: Poet of the People. Other selections revolve around George Washington Carver, Mary McLeod Bethune, Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Henry, Abraham Lincoln, and the abolitionist movement. In addition, there are two choral readings celebrating the achievements of Harriet Tubman and Crispus Attucks. Most of the theater pieces do not require elaborate sets or costumes, and the performance times average 30 minutes. Most of the major roles are for boys. Even so, this book offers a creative way to highlight the lives of individuals who played pivotal roles in the black American experience.-Jeanette Lambert, Nashville Metropolitan Schools, TN