Robert O'Hara

'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.

"Searing and sensationally funny... As raw in its language and raucous in spirit as it is smart and provocative."--"The New York Times""Funny, smutty and enticingly subversive. . . . A toxically satiric portrait of American life."--"Washington Post""When I told my mother that a theater was putting on my play "Bootycandy," her response was, 'What? "Bootycandy"? These white folks are going to let you put on a play called "Bootycandy"? ? Are they crazy ' And my response was, 'Yes. Yes indeed.'"--Robert O'HaraSutter is on an outrageous odyssey through his childhood home, his church, dive bars, motel rooms, and even nursing homes. The journey uncovers characters who are at once fascinating, zany, controversial, and even a bit smutty, painting a portrait of life as a societal outlier. Based on the author's personal experience, "Bootycandy" is a kaleidoscope of sketches that interconnects to portray growing up gay and black. This subversive, uproarious satire crashes headlong into the murky terrain of pain and pleasure and . . . BOOTYCANDY Robert O'Hara is a playwright and director. His play "Antebellum" received a world premiere production from Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, and earned him a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play. He reworked "The Wiz" for its revival at La Jolla Playhouse. He wrote and directed the world premiere of "Insurrection: Holding History" (Public Theater, Oppenheimer Award for Best New American Play). As a director, he has won an Obie Award and an NAACP Best Director Award and has worked at acclaimed theaters throughout the United States.

Robert O'Hara's semi-biographical subversive comedy exploded onto the New York theatre-scene with a critically lauded production at Playwrights Horizons. Bootycandy tells the story of Sutter who is on an outrageous odyssey through his childhood home his church dive bars motel rooms and even nursing homes. O'Hara weaves together scenes sermons sketches and daring meta-theatrics to create a kaleidoscope that interconnects to portray growing up gay and black. Robert O'Hara's uproarious satire crashes headlong into the murky terrain of pain and pleasure and... BOOTYCANDY.