TRANSFORMATION! African American Theater 1821–1921 and Beyond: From the African Grove Theater to Shuffle Along

Curated by Cheyenne Bryant (BA ’22), Jasmine Buckley (BA ’22), Michael Dinwiddle, Keith Miller, and Gabriela Perez (BA ’24)

In 1821, at the intersection of Mercer and Bleecker streets, a retired West Indian steward named William Brown opened the African Grove Theatre, the first known Black theater in the United States. Although it was only open for two years, the theater offered a vision of what a national theater could be in the newly formed country. A century later, in 1921, Shuffle Along became the first all-Black hit Broadway show, introducing modes of song and dance that revolutionized musical theater. Between the opening of the African Grove Theatre and the last performance of Shuffle Along, African Americans developed theater in ways that reshaped the American stage. Transformation! is an exploration of some of the key moments, figures, and places of that turbulent period.

This event is presented as a part of Gallatin’s 2022 Black History Month programming.

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Source: NYU/GALLATIN