Translating the African American Experience on the Stage: The Case of Adrianne Kennedy

The 1960s witnessed the irruption of previously disenfranchised voices on the U.S. stage. In the case of the African American community, Black Nationalist leaders demanded that playwrights translate African American experience in a positive light in order to empower the community. In this context, playwright Adrienne Kennedy was a controversial figure because of her refusal to depict positive role models or an optimistic image of the African American experience. This article explores the clash between Kennedy’s use of a postmodern aesthetics and the Black Nationalist demand of an art of identification.