Teacher's Guide for FOOTSTEPS American Negro Theater

• to understand the impact of the American Negro Theatre on both African Americans and the development of theatre in the United States
• to improve comprehension through a variety of reading activities
• to practice summarizing skills
• to increase understanding of text organization
• to use graphic organizers
• to develop creative writing skills, including the writing of dialogue, the writing of diary entries, the creation of cartoons, and more
• to review letter-writing skills

For "Taking Off the Burned Cork"

1. Explain term "minstrel show." (Many students will have no familiarity with the genre. Be sure to include an explanation of the term "burned cork.")
2. Encourage students to participate in the discussion you initiate about the positive and negative aspects of the minstrel show.
3. Read the first paragraph of the article aloud to students.
4. Ask students to read the rest of the short article; write the following words / terms on the board and ask that they write an explanation for each:
   • Appearances (date)
   • Garland Anderson
   • What the play encouraged
   • Where the review appeared
   • Two newspapers which reviewed play
5. Follow up with a discussion of just why Appearances was important to the history of African-American Theatre.

For "Showtime at the WPA"

1. Give students a hand-out you have created: a simple line drawing of a three-layer cake with thick icing on the top. In the icing, write this quote by Hallie Flanagan which appears in the article:

   "Theatre: not the frosting on the cake, but the yeast which makes the bread rise."

2. On the back of the hand-out, help students to write a short explanation of what the WTP and the FTP were.
3. Then, in each of the three "layers" of the cake, assist students in writing information about
   1. "The Living Newspapers"
   2. the all-black production of "MacBeth"
   3. the final paragraph of the article

For "Rose McLendon"

1. After reading the article, discuss the possibility with students that if Rose McLendon had been born into our time period, she might very have likely been a famous movie star.
2. Ask students to pretend they have just seen McLendon in a famous movie - one with the same name as a play she actually appeared in.
3. Have students write Rose a fan letter. In the letter they must mention the following:
   1. the names of several other "movies" she has appeared in,
   2. something about her personal life (from first column),
   3. something about the racism she experienced (page 8),
   4. a quote from someone who admired her (Hopkins or Barrymore).

For "American Negro Theatre"

1. Furnish students with three colors of highlighters (light colored markers will work).
2. Read through material with students. Explain (for example) that pink will be used for dates, green for names / terms, and yellow for places. Explain that you will direct students to highlight as you read.
3. After reading, discussing, and highlighting, ask students to write "pink," "green," and "yellow" paragraphs, each of which will begin with an appropriate topic sentence and develop that idea.

For "On Striver's Row"

1. Read the article together, concentrating on the plot of the play. Discuss the plot thoroughly. Explain the part of each character plays the plot.
2. Explain the theme of the play (see the last sentence of the article).
3. Divide the class into small groups. Have each group write a short scene (from their imagination) with approximately a dozen lines of dialogue in which one of the events of the play is depicted.
4. Invite students to present scenes to class.

For "Studio Theatre"

1. Explain to students that they are to pretend the year is 1940 and they are really excited. You might say "Congratulations! You have been selected to join the training program run by the American Negro Theatre!"
2. After reading the article, students are to write a series of diary entries telling what has happened to them during their training.
3. Diary entries will include the following (but encourage students to look at the photos and to also use their imagination):
   • what happened at the Harlem library and who they met there
   • where the Studio theatre was located and who the director was
   • what kind of skills they learned
   • what kind of plays they were in

For "Alice Childress," "Sidney Poitier," "Ruby Dee," and "Harry Belafonte"

1. Give students a brief overview of each actor. (If possible, showing film clips would certainly provide additional motivation.)
2. Have students draw names, so that one-fourth of the class has each name. Divide students into groups with like names.
3. Provide students with highlighers, markers, and a large square of butcher paper.
4. Instruct students to read through the article, highlighting the important events in each actor's life.
5. Next, have students divide butcher paper into squares and create a cartoon version of the actor's life.
6. Groups will then present their cartoon to the class.

For "Anna Lucasta"

1. Begin the lesson by reading the last sentence of the article (page 33): "Nevertheless, Anna Lucasta is still remembered as the American Negro Theatre's most successful achievement."
2. Talk about the use of terms like "nevertheless." What clue does that kind of word give the reader? Explain that you are going to read the article with the purpose of finding out why that word "nevertheless" begins that final sentence.
3. Begin the reading of the article by making sure that students understand exactly why the play was controversial.
4. Focus discussion as you read on the changing racial and social elements which cast the fortune of this play.
5. After discussing the article, ask the students to write a paragraph which explains that mysterious "nevertheless."

For "A Raisin in the Sun"

1. Viewing the film of this movie would be, of course, the ultimate discussion starter. Short of that, perhaps the teacher could discuss the plot line and read a few excerpts.
2. Focusing on Hansberry's quote from page 35, " . . . I suddenly became disgusted with a whole body of materials about Negroes," ask students to discuss current television programs featuring African Americans. Ask them to talk about what the students themselves think about these shows, and, knowing what they do about Lorraine Hansberry, what they think she would think about these same programs.
3. Focusing on Langston Hughes' poem, "Harlem" (which is reprinted for you on page 34), make sure they understand why Hansberry used the line about the raisin in the sun as the title for her play. Then ask students to brainstorm a list of topics which could serve as themes for plays today with the theme of "deferred dreams."

For "THEN and NOW (focus on August Wilson)"

1. Beginning this lesson with a discussion of the biography of August Wilson on pages 40 - 41. Assist students in making a short outlined time line of Wilson's life so far.
2. Then have students read the interview question asked of Lloyd Richards on page 39, as well as his answer to that question on page 39 and 40. On the bottom of their outline, ask them to quote Richard's last line starting with " . . . I felt as if I were . . ." Talk about why that compliment about Wilson's work makes for good play (or movie) viewing.
3. Ask students to discuss the photograph, noticing that the material Wilson writes about is life in the 1900s, with a plan to write one play set in each decade. Ask students to guess which decade is represented in "Two Trains Running."
4. Next, turn to page 42 and ask the same question.
5. Read aloud the synopsis of "The Piano Lesson."
6. Adapt the activities on pages 43 - 45 for classroom use by:
   1. displaying the finished "Continuing the Story" activities,
   2. giving students time to "collect" story ideas from family members for the "Make Your Own 'Piano Story'" activity; however, for students who are unable to bring any ideas of their own prepare a box of "pretend memories" for students to draw from.
   3. See if you can raid the school storeroom or get a thrift shop or parents to make donations for the "Be a Little Creative" assignment. How wonderful it would be to have groups of students working together on old pieces of furniture to create community memories. (Be sure to offer your own contribution.) It would be especially inviting to students to work together on a large piece - such as an old library table that would become a permanent addition to the school or classroom.

GENERAL USE ACTIVITIES (for teachers using a majority of pieces in the magazine):

1. Assist students in preparing for a debate on non-biased casting. Give them the names of some plays (you could also use television programs and movies) and ask them to debate how race should or should not make a difference in casting those roles.
2. Invite an African American actor to speak in your classroom on the subject of opportunities for black actors in the theatre today.
3. Copy the current theatre listings from the New Yorker magazine and discuss which plays appear to involve African-American actors, playwrights, or themes.
4. Make a giant classroom timeline on the theme of American Negro Theatre. Assign different groups of students different parts of the timeline, making sure that material from every article in the magazine is covered. Leave one group out; give this group a large map of the United States, ask them to mark and denote any geographical places mentioned in the articles. (Be sure to have an enlarged portion for New York.)
5. Ask students to write a short report on the women of the African American theatre. Instruct them to utilize the material in the articles on Rose McLendon, Alice Childress, Ruby Dee, and Lorraine Hansberry.
6. Provide students with art materials and ask them to make colorful posters advertising any play mentioned in the magazine. Ask them to include as much as they can of the following:
   1. title of play
   2. playwright
   3. dates
   4. description of action
   5. quote from a review
   6. illustration or graphic
   Display posters around school or classroom.

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Updated: 11/21/09 02:58 pm
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