ABSTRACT
The conflicts inherent in being African-American artists in the world of traditional American theatre led to the development of what was to be called the Black Arts Movement. This movement, that rejected the need to create a theatre in the image of the dominant White culture, was a stimulus for the establishment of the National Black Theatre [NBT]. Before founding the NBT of Harlem in 1968, Barbara Ann Teer was enjoying success as an actress on the Broadway stage. The reasons for her transformation from an actress of Western traditional theatre to the director of a Black theatre are complex. A better understanding of Teer’s theatre can be achieved by first examining the history of African-American theatre before 1968. Because theatre has always been a reflection of life, this investigation will necessitate an examination of the lives of African-Americans as they were reflected in the world of the American theatre.
