CONCLUSION

When portraying the American Black experience onstage, it's common for writers to lean towards depictions of Black trauma and struggles. Usually this is done in hopes to put a slice of life in front of non-Black audiences, and provide a voice for stories that had too often been swept under the rug.

However, as theatre artists of modern day, we have to take extra care when producing these stories. Continuing to keep black people in proximity to black trauma can often be misinterpreted into turning black people into victims. While there is room for necessary productions and storytelling of black grief, it is equally essential to produce stories of black joy.

In addition to paying attention to the implication of the black stories we produce, we should also pay close attention to the groups we're not representing - or even worse misrepresenting. As we produce dated works, we must make a conscious decision about the ways we represent other groups.

If we can take care to approach black storytelling with an educated and intentional perspective, we will achieve a glimmer of hope for a future of greater understanding between humans - which was always the goal anyway!