Abstract

Using an Afrofuturist lens, this article explores Black Theater and its facility for imagining the Black experience as a space for divergent but culturally engaged representations of Black Futurity. Basing inquiry on an analytical framework centering on Black Studies, the writing will explore how the discipline can begin to look to Black Theater and its futurity as an interpreter of the Black Radical Tradition. Emphasis on futurity, engaging the Black imagination, subverting Black realities, and Black cultural history will be key to setting a foundational base from which to synthesize the discourse. This work will attempt to establish a deeper engagement with the futurism of Black Theater.

Keywords: Black Studies, Black Theater, Afrofuturism, Arts and Culture, futurity, Black Radical Tradition

How to Cite: Etienne, Leslie K. "Black Theater, Black Studies, and Afrofuturism: An Exploration of Past Present and Future." the Black Theatre Review 2 no.1 (2023): 1-11.