"If I had possessed Professor Dicker/sun's 'Companion' forty-one years ago, it would have saved me hundreds of research hours. Her book answers all the questions my students asked about black theatre. In addition Dicker/sun challenges her readers with questions she does not answer, 'Food for Thought.' All teachers and scholars of African American theater should own this book. It's an education." James Hatch, City University New York "Glenda Dicker/sun presents us with more than the history of the African American Theater; she challenges us to join her in an ongoing creative process of illuminating, recording and understanding 'ourstory' and 'yourstory'. She asks us to absorb the roles of our ancestors, to get a taste of their times, their choices, their fears and their joys. African American Theater: A Cultural Companion strengthens one's sense of the individual and collective selves that currently perform one or more roles in the perpetual drama that is humanity." Charles OyamO Gordon, playwright "With this volume Glenda Dicker/sun shares her great wealth of artistic expertise and historical knowledge to inspire the creative impulse in readers of all ages. Drawing on the stories, plays, poetry, films, and music that reflect and enhance the history of black life in America, Dicker/sun provides a welcoming open space for each reader to insert his or her own performance into the ongoing production." Judith Stephens-Lorenz, Penn State University