Special Issue, July 2025
The Role of Theatre at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Guest Editors

Khalid Y. LongDeRon S. Williams
Howard UniversityLoyola University Chicago

tBTR is accepting submissions for its sixth publication, Vol. 3 No. 2, to be published July 2025 online. We invite submissions that critically engage with the history, culture, and innovative role of HBCUs in cultivating theatre within academia and beyond. While numerous critical studies have been published on HBCUs and their place within higher education, far less attention has been given to examining the unique contributions of their theatre programs. With such a rich cultural, historical, and social significance, it is essential to investigate how these theatre programs foster artistic innovation, preserve cultural narratives, and shape the future of Black theatre, performance, and production. The urgency of this special journal issue aligns with the resurgence of HBCUs as pivotal sites for advancing equity and representation in the arts. Accordingly, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have played, and continue to play, a crucial role in shaping American theatre academically and professionally. From their training programs in acting, design, and management to advancing critical thought in Black Theatre Studies, Black Drama, and theatrical production - cementing these areas as legitimate academic disciplines, HBCUs have provided students and professors with invaluable cultural and educational experiences. Equally important is these programs' impact on the communities they serve, offering access to culturally resonant performances, fostering local talent, and creating spaces where community narratives are shared and celebrated. HBCU theatre programs bridge the gap between academic study and community engagement, emphasizing theatre's role in empowering students and the wider public.

We seek to publish original papers, historical overviews, theoretical frameworks, and critical case studies that take up HBCU theatre programs that have and continue to uniquely advance Black theatrical traditions while engaging with broader developments in theatre education and production, contributing to and shaping the evolving landscape of the performing arts. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Groundbreaking figures/pioneers/alums
  • Historical and contemporary perspectives of education and/or artistic leadership.
  • Innovative stage productions (i.e., devised works, re-engagement with classics, adaptations)
  • Revolutionary curriculum/pedagogical development.
  • The role of HBCUs and theatre as foundations for institutional and/or identity formation.
  • Reflections on HBCU/theatre experience from Alumni.
  • The future of HBCU theatre programs under the forthcoming administration.
  • The theatricality of Black queer and/or trans activism.
  • Greek life/culture as performance.
  • Community building, artist development, and professional and academic theatre career preparation.

The length of submissions should range between 2,500 and 5,000 words.

Photograph Submissions
We are accepting photographic submissions of past and present productions at HBCUs. Our goal is to initiate a photographic archive. All submissions must include the production title, director, location, names of those photographed, the photographer (if known), and one to two sentences about the show.

Book Review, Performance Review, Notes, and Works of Multimedia
We also seek to publish book and performance reviews, notes from the field that document practice and production-based experiences, technical and design notes, and works of multimedia related to this special issue.

Submission Guidelines
All submissions must reach us by January 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Please send submissions formatted and exported in Microsoft Word. Refer to our website's specific article section guidelines for submission length. All manuscripts must be submitted in standard format (adequate margins, double-spaced, and single column) in Times New Roman font no smaller than 12-point. Submissions should use footnotes and comply with The Chicago Manual of Style (18th ed.), using notes and bibliography system.

Do not upload submissions to our website, as is customary at tBTR. Please send all inquiries and submissions to Khalid Y. Long, Longky56@gmail.com, and DeRon S. Williams, deronwms@gmail.com.