By Bunmi Popoola
THEATRE OF RACIAL CONFLICT
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BLACK THEATRE
Theatre of Racial Conflict is intended to initiate a debate around the issue of black theatre underpinned by colour identity as opposed to cultural identity. The idea is to take the colour out of Theatre or Performing Arts and make it more culture focus.
As a theatre director the inspiration for this book comes out of burning desire to change the narrative of corrupted African cultural identity, recognising that to do otherwise is to embrace nothingness, and to embrace nothingness is to relinquish power and be subjected by those whom cultural identity we as African people emulated, embraced, replicated, and plagiarised unashamedly to our detriment without regard for our own cultural identity. It amounts to nothing more than self-enslavement.
Black theatre, in contrast to Yoruba theatre, Zulu theatre, Shona theatre, Jamaican theatre, African American theatre obscures our individual story.
Black theatre is a product of racist means of devaluing our story. Black as related to African people, and as applied to theatre is obsolete. – Bunmi Popoola
Author
Bunmi Popoola
I do not write what I want to write, but I write what I have to write. All my writings start with a question whether be a fiction or a non-fiction when encountering a situation or person that puzzles me; very often I am looking for an answer, at times there may be no clear cut answer; exercise in investigation of an idea or a thought can be gratifying at times. Theatre of Racial Conflict addresses an existential question that seems to distort and falsify African cultural identity at the hands of those who neither understand it, or have no emotional investment in it. What is black theatre? This is as good a starting point as any in writing Theatre of Racial Conflict.
“Theatre is a passion for me, it is a great honour to observe audiences engaging in my theatre productions over the last few decades; I take so much pride in entertaining, enlightening, and inspiring audiences of all ages.”
“There is an obvious emergence or awakening of marginalisation of mental illness which appears to have gained root from and in Western hemisphere as a result of political correctness, as well as administrative and economic convenience.
My aim is to advocate for the condition for good governance for mental illness in clinical settings and promote a positive image of mentally ill patients in the public arena.“
Readers Comments
An important work. This book would be an invaluable contribution to drama curriculum.
– Matt Blazi, Goodreads
Well worth a read, very enlightening!
– Lauren Lavan McGinley, Goodreads
The author has penned a very expressive and thought-provoking book. His writing style is both artistic and attractive. His message exudes a creative thought process that at its core inspires all of us, essentially, to be unapologetically ourselves, I believe—this, as opposed to taking on a kind of assigned identity perceived by any others. A stellar work and a page-turner. I could not put it down but I’m sure to read it again!