trailer

Black History month would not be complete without a review of the most controversial period of American Entertainment:  the minstrel era, a time when white entertainers coated their faces with black paint ” and mimicked the African American.  Drawing on superstitions and stereotypes these entertainers called the art form “satire” and portrayed the Black American as mostly stupid and without conscious.  The tragedy of the era was that the performances were very popular among the white communities. 

The play, written by  by Jason C. White,  is  a satire on satire and explores the controversial images and myths of the minstrel stage from a modern perspective. The play provokes controversy in it’s own right as the minstrel era is one which most older blacks would love to forget; why dreg up the humiliation of the past. Watermelon anyone.  African American Youth seem oblivious to the  emotional slaughter of  Minstrelsey even while the  energy of “black Faced” is a covert and pervasive energy in the Hip-Hip culture.  Jason & Aaron right  seek to address the history of black face, hopefully to create healing in American communities.

                                  
documentary directed by Courtney Graves and  performed by Jason C. and Aaron white

The Documentary of The Dance: The History of American Minstrelsy. Based on the NAACP award winning educational play. 2007 NAACP award for ” Best Playwright”. Nominated for 3 NAACP Theater Awards & 3 LA Weekly Awards.All rights reserved Per Productions LLC. Like the film? Wanna book a show or a class for your school? Visit www.seethedance.com for more details, and receive a free copy of Jason C. White’s book, The Autobiography of The Dance! Please feel free to email per productions with comments