On Wednesday March 2, Dr. Adrienne Macki Braconi of UConn’s Dramatic Arts deparment presented her latest book, Harlem’s Theaters: A Staging Ground for Community, Class, and Contradiction, 1923-1939. The book talk was held at the Co-op bookstore in Storrs Center and demonstrated how community based theaters in Harlem helped to shape the history of African American culture in the United States. Macki Braconi touched on topics such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, as well as African American icons like Martin Luther King and Joe Louis. The presentation focused on George Bernard Shaw’s Androcles and the Lion shown at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem, following the Harlem Renaissance. Through her extensive research, Macki Braconi revealed the impact this production had on the dynamics of racism in theater and society.
Photo Credit: Gigi DiGiuseppe