Danai Gurira

'Post-black' refers to an emerging trend within black arts to find new and multiple expressions of blackness, unburdened by the social and cultural expectations of blackness of the past and moving beyond the conventional binary of black and white. Reflecting this multiplicity of perspectives, the plays in this collection explode the traditional ways of representing black families on the American stage, and create new means to consider the interplay of race, with questions of class, gender, and sexuality. They engage and critique current definitions of black and African-American identity, as well as previous limitations placed on what constitutes blackness and black theatre. Written by the emerging stars of American theatre such as Eisa Davis and Marcus Gardley, the plays explore themes as varied as family and individuality, alienation and gentrification, and reconciliation and belonging. They demonstrate a wide-range of formal and structural innovations for the American theatre, and reflect the important ways in which contemporary playwrights are expanding the American dramatic canon with new and diverse means of representation. Edited by two leading US scholars in black drama, Harry J. Elam Jr (Stanford) and Douglas A. Jones Jr (Princeton), this cutting edge anthology gathers together some of the most exciting new American plays, selected by a rigorous academic backbone and explored in depth by supporting critical material.

Ruth E. Carter is a living legend of costume design. For three decades, she has shaped the story of the Black experience on screen - from the eighties streetwear of DO THE RIGHT THING to the royal regalia of COMING 2 AMERICA. Her work on Marvel's BLACK PANTHER not only brought Afrofuturism to the mainstream, but also made her the first Black winner of an Oscar in costume design. In 2021, she became the second-ever costume designer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In this definitive book, Carter shares her origins - recalling a trip to the sporting goods store with Spike Lee to outfit the SCHOOL DAZE cast and a transformative moment stepping inside history on the set of Steven Spielberg's AMISTAD. She recounts anecdotes from dressing the greats: Eddie Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Chadwick Boseman, and many more. She describes the passion for history that inspired her period pieces - from MALCOLM X to WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT - and her journey into Afrofuturism. Carter's wisdom and stories are paired with deluxe visuals, including sketches, mood boards, and film stills. Stunning photography by Awol Erizku reveals the beautiful details of Carter's most iconic creations. Fans will even get a glimpse behind the scenes of the highly anticipated BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. At its core, Carter's oeuvre celebrates Black heroes and sheroes, whether civil rights leaders or Wakandan warriors. She has brought the past to life and helped us imagine a brighter future. This book is sure to inspire the next generation of artists and storytellers.

It's 1896 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Jekesai, a young Shona girl, escapes a forced arranged marriage by converting to Christianity and becoming a protégé to an African Evangelical. As anti-colonial sentiments spread throughout the native population, Jekesai is forced to choose between her family's traditions and her newfound faith. This Student Edition of Danai Gurira's 2012 play The Convert includes a commentary by Aviva Neff.

A young Shona girl escapes an arranged marriage by converting to Christianity, becoming a servant and student to an African Evangelical. As anti-European sentiments spread throughout the native population, she is forced to choose between her family’s traditions and her newfound faith.

Marvelous and Donald Zimbabwean emigrants in Minnesota are preparing for the marriage of their eldest daughter Tendi. They have gracefully blended Zimbabwean culture alongside their American culture but their house is turned upside down when Marvelous' sister comes from Zimbabwe to perform a very traditional wedding ceremony in which the groom barters for the bride. Tensions flare and identites clash as the family's fabric slowly unweaves and they are forced to take a hard look at who they truly are.

"Soul-searing... Eclipsed shines with a compassion that makes us see beyond the suffering to the indomitable humanity of its characters." Charles Isherwood, New York Times "A major achievement... Eclipsed is shattering in part because, while the Liberian Civil War finally ended, the struggle continues in a ravished human landscape. We can do little more than bear witness--something this miraculous play helps boldly to accomplish." Jeremy Gerard, Deadline "Danai Gurira's remarkable play is an epic of war and suffering... painted with warmth, humor and rage... A considerable work of art." Stewart Pringle, Time Out London "It's a common lament that there are no good roles for women. But Danai Gurira has packed this harrowing drama with five of them." Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News Amid the chaos of the Liberian Civil War, the captive wives of a rebel officer band together to form a fragile community--until the balance of their lives is upset by the arrival of a new girl. Drawing on reserves of wit and compassion, Eclipsed reveals distinct women who must discover their own means of survival in this chilling and humanizing story of transformation and renewal in a hostile world of horrors not of their own making. Danai Gurira is an award-winning Zimbabwean American actor and playwright. Her plays include In the Continuum, The Convert, Familiar and Eclipsed. As an actor, she is best known for her role as Michonne on AMC's The Walking Dead. She is the co-founder of Almasi Collaborative Arts, and founder LOVE OUR GIRLS: a campaign bringing awareness to injustices faced by women and girls throughout the world. (Visit: logpledge.org)

It’s best to work with the system,and right now – the system is war.2003, civil war is raging in Liberia. At a rebel army base four young women are doing their best to survive the conditions of the war. Yet sometimes, the greatest threat comes not from the enemy’s guns, but from the brutality of those on your own side. With the arrival of a new girl, who can read, and an old one, who can kill, how might this transform the future of this hard-bitten sisterhood?

In the Continuum puts a human face on the devastating impact of AIDS in Africa and America through the lives of two unforgettably courageous women. Living worlds apart one in South Central LA and the other in Zimbabwe each experiences a kaleidoscopic weekend of life-changing revelations in this story of parallel denials and self-discoveries.