Sam O’Connell (Visual and Performing Arts) has a chapter in the recently published Cambridge Companion of African American Theatre. His chapter, “Fragmented Musicals and 1970s Soul Aesthetic,” combines research from musical theater history, performance studies, and ethnomusicology to create an argument about the aesthetic principles of black musical theater in the 1970s.
From the publisher:”This Companion provides a comprehensive overview of African American theatre, from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Along the way, it chronicles the evolution of African American theatre and its engagement with the wider community, including discussions of slave rebellions on the national stage, African Americans on Broadway, the Harlem Renaissance, African American women dramatists, and the ‘New Negro’ and ‘Black Arts’ movements. Leading scholars spotlight the producers, directors, playwrights and actors whose efforts helped to fashion a more accurate appearance of Black life on stage, and reveal the impact of African American theatre both within the United States and further afield.”