Book excerpt: This volume covers Broadway, Off-Broadway and selected Harlem plays that are "by, about, with, for and related to blacks," from 1898 to 1981. Part I documents shows from 1898, the date of the first black musical comedy (A Trip to Coontown) to December 1981 (Dreamgirls). Information for each show includes: its theatre opening date, and number of performances, the creative personnel (producer, author, director, composer, and lyricist), the cast credits, and the show's songs. Each entry concludes with a plot summary, a survey of critical comment and an analysis of the historical context of important shows. Part II includes biographical entries of major performers, writers, and directors and notes on major organizations that have encouraged the black theatre in New York City in the twentieth century. Appendices include a chronology, a discography of recordings of black shows and a select bibliography. ISBN 0-313-22561-3 : $39.95.