Black Arts/West (Seattle)
Black Arts/West was a nationally known African American theater founded in 1969 in Seattle, Washington, by playwright Douglas Q. Barnett.[1] Barnett's New Group Theater started in 1961.[2] Black Arts/West formally began as a performing arts program in 1967 with the social services agency CAMP (Central Area Motivation Program).[3] The theater established an office in a theatrical space in 1969. In 1973 they transitioned from being a community theater company to a professional theatrical ensemble, and received funding from sources such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State and Seattle Arts Commission.[3] It hosted over 32 plays and other performances before its closure in 1980.[4][5] In 2020, the location of the theater on East Union Street between 34th and 35th avenues was named in honor of Douglas Q. Barnett.[6]
Notable productions[edit]
- Ed Bullins, A Son, Come Home directed by Beatrice Winde (1969)[7]
- Amiri Baraka (then LeRoi Jones), Dutchman directed by Douglas Q. Barnett (1969)[7]
- Alice Childress, Wine In the Wilderness directed by Ana V. Thorne(1970)[7]
- Derek Walcott, Dream on Monkey Mountain directed by Jason Bernard (1971)[2][8]
- Melvin Van Peebles, Ain't Supposed To Die A Natural Death (1971) directed by Gilbert Moses[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Hill, Anthony D., and Douglas Q. Barnett. The A to Z of African American Theater, Scarecrow Press, Incorporated, 2009. ISBN 9780810868984. pages 541-542.
- ^ a b Abatan, Adetola (2021-01-01). "Black Arts/West: A Theater Without a Home". Black Arts/West.
- ^ a b Butler, Buddy E. (June 1977). "Black Arts/West". The Western Journal of Black Studies. 1 (2): 121–122.
- ^ "Black Arts/West, Part 1 -- A History by Douglas Q. Barnett". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ King, Woodie,Jr. "Documenting Black Theatre History." Black Masks, vol. 19, no. 2, Feb, 2010, pp. 7-8,14-15. ProQuest,
- ^ a b "Seattle street named for Black theater pioneer". The Seattle Times. 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
- ^ a b c "Black Arts/West, Part 5 -- A History by Douglas Q. Barnett". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ^ "Jason Bernard - Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-12-27.