UW Drama Library Featured Books: Featured Books

Themes of identity, tradition, and belonging blend together in this collection of five plays celebrating South Africa's vibrancy and diversity. Delving into African mythology to uncover a rich tapestry of history, spirit, and ancestry, Staging Black, Queer South Africa: Plays for the Gods! offers profound insights into the contemporary Black queer experience, shedding light on the complex interplay between identity and tradition in modern South Africa. Drawing on long-held parables, such as Camus' Absurd Hero, this collection bridges the gap between Ritual Theatre and Theatre of the Absurd to fully evoke the paradox of being Black and queer in South Africa, with the collection coining the 'Absurd Ritual' genre. Touching on ideas of Ubungoma, IsiZulu Shamanism, and the legacy of queer individuals in African communities, the plays challenge long-held assumptions on whether queerness 'belongs' in traditional beliefs. Along with a contextualizing introduction by Dr. Princess Sibanda, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, and a personal preface by the playwright, Staging Black, Queer South Africa is a refreshing and often shocking look at the intersection of Blackness, queerness, and spirituality, and how this intersection is far from being a paradox.