Shirley Graham Dubois Theater Career

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Race Woman Shirley Graham DuBois’ Theater Career Shirley Graham DuBois was an African American playwright, author, and composer. She had many jobs within the theater industry. She was involved in Black Theatre, where black women were unknown because the stories and plays that were written, were too private for the male dominate industry. Gerald Horne says: “More pointedly, black dramatists generally have had difficulty in overcoming the social and economic difficulty involved in mounting major productions. During the 1930s, for example, “most Black Theatre companies folded”.” Black Theatre was considered very low budget and of low economic status. The performers’ salaries were low and unreliable. The dressing rooms were very small and…show more content…
The Casting Couch is a concept of the theater industry that was kept secret for years. There were major differences between the men and women in the theater business. One difference was that men were always higher in employment or were awarded more roles than women. It includes that there are men who ask for sexual favors by their female clients to get a role. It is known that homosexuality has caused the casting couch to take on a bad reputation. The whole concept of the casting couch was avowed into secrecy. No person in the theater business was allowed, nor did they want to express their sexual actions with others outside of the theater world. When a man and a woman would engage in sexual acts, it began a “business relationship between the man and the woman. But we all know that the relationship wasn’t a real and sincere relationship. People in theater organizations such as the “Federal Theater Project” Trust 3 influenced the relationships with the directors and the actors, producers and actresses, and background players with in the theater…show more content…
She learned more about lighting, costumes, and other aspects of the theater. Federal Theatre Project staged her works called Little Black Sambo and The Swing Mikado in 1938. She accomplished a lot to be the only African American on the campus of Vassar College. The text states: “She was the only Negro on campus,” which at this point in her life she did not lament but viewed as a “responsibility.” Yes, Graham concluded,” we are a race of artists”; “these doors are open to us, not through force and effort, but because the world believes we have something definite and valuable to offer”.” All in all, Shirley Graham DuBois was so active in the theater industry; she made a career out of it. She was well known throughout the theater world because her great works of art. She was a Trust 4 struggling artist, but in the end she found her way to the top. Graham was a strong African American writer, composer, artist, playwright and
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