The rich history of African-American theatre has often been overlooked, both in theoretical discourse and in practice. This volume seeks a critical engagement with black theatre artists and theorists of the twentieth century. It reveals a comprehensive view of the Art or Propaganda debate that dominated twentieth century African-American dramatic theory. Among others, this text addresses the works of Langston Hughes, W.E.B Dubois, Alain Locke, Lorraine Hansberry, Amiri Baraka, Adrienne Kennedy, Sydney Poitier, and August Wilson. Of particular note is the manner in which black theory collides or intersects with canonical theorists, including Aristotle, Keats, Ibsen, Nietsche, Shaw, and O'Neill.