A review of the play Delany Sister.

Essay by grigsUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, December 2003

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A review of the play Delany Sister

In the last few weeks, you have taught us that the setting of a theatre performance provides the atmosphere for the actors to bring their story to life. If attention to detail and knowledge of what scenes need to be created for the production, a designer and crew can create scenes that have the best possible effect on the audience, giving them a peep of the world the characters live in. This is evident in The Invisible Theatre production of The Delany Sister' First 100 Years, by Emily Mann.

The script places you in a time gone by, where African American women were not aloud to be anything but a mammy, house cleaners, cooks, and caregivers. They were not taught to be proud of being black. They had a hard time going to school. They were not able to have a since of pride about themselves or their culture.

However, out of all this turmoil two sisters emerged. One to be the first African American to teach domestic science on the high school level in the New York City public schools from 1920 - 1960 and the other was the graduated from Columbia University's School of Dental & Oral Surgery, which led her to the first black female to practice dentistry in New York City.

As you walk into the Invisible Theatre you notice how small the set is and proscenium type stage. Before the play started, Gail Fitzhugh and Susan Claassen sound designers entertained you with jazz and gospel music from the 20's and 50's. As the play starts the music stop. However, there is one part of the play where the music lifted your spirits setting you up for an energetic play of a lifetime.

Beth A. Dell and Tracy...