Suppression of Expressive Engagement

With Fat Ham, Ijames draws parallels between the Elizabethan Period and Black Audiences. However, for many theatre goers it is easy to conflate room for possibility with ignorance of craft. How do we as a Black artists make space for expressive engagement without creating room for distraction?

When I think about audience engagement during a show, I often think about Dominique Morisseau— her experiences at the theatre, which are reflective of my own, and the path she is taking to make these experiences more equitable and enjoyable for Black audiences.

Dominique Morisseau, ‘Playwright’s Rules of Engagement’