The Minnesota Daily Book Club: Penumbra

Penumbra “provided a much-needed cultural alternative to the kinds of plays … offered by the predominantly white theater institutions of the Twin Cities,” writes author Macelle Mahala.

Mahala_Penumbra coverThe Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul is a story of African American experience. Since its founding on the wave of the Black Arts Movement, the artistic arm of Black Power, the Penumbra has staged more than 150 performances of African American drama and guided the narrative of Afro thought in American theater.

A new book published by the University of Minnesota Press, “Penumbra: The Premier Stage for African American Drama” by Macelle Mahala, a University alumna and assistant professor of theater arts at the University of the Pacific, explores the history of the theater as an artistic and community catalyst in the Twin Cities and beyond.

 

Read the full article.

Published in: Minnesota Daily
By: Tom Johnson