Dr. Jonathan Shandell, associate professor and co-director of Theater Arts, was featured in an episode of the “New Books on African American Studies” podcast. Dr. Shandell discussed his new novel, The American Negro Theatre and the Long Civil Rights Era, which unpacks the legacy of the American Negro Theatre.

In his interview, Dr. Shandell analyzed how the theatre company provided a formative space for African American actors to convey their experiences to audiences in the 1940s. Dr. Shandell also noted how these productions shaped artistic influences of the Civil Rights Movement and provided training for notable entertainers such as Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Frederick O’Neal.

Listen to the podcast