A Princeton Humanities Council Magic Project launched a partnership between the Lewis Center for the Arts and New York city based CLASSIX, a collective of Black theater artists and scholars dedicated to expanding the classical theater canon through an exploration of dramatic works by Black writers. This kick-off event, originally recorded March 30, 2021, included readings by professional actors of excerpts of plays written by artists in the New Deal-era Federal Theatre Project’s Negro Units, as the units were titled then. Note: The play readings that were shared during the event were presented under an Actors Equity Association contract that limited the duration of how long the performances could be viewed and have been deleted from this recording. However, we are pleased to continue to share the lively panel-led conversation and audience Q&A that preceded and followed the readings, which served as a springboard for discussion on this moment in Black and theatrical history. With Autumn Womack (African American Studies and Department of English), Kinohi Nishikawa (African American Studies and Department of English) and Arminda Thomas (CLASSIX), moderated by Michael Dinwiddie (NYU).

View program information including event schedule, cast and production info, and more.