Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: August Wilson
- First Published: 1985
- Type of Work: Play
- Genres: Social realism, Drama, Psychological drama
- Subjects: African Americans, Discrimination, Power, personal or social, 1920’s, Chicago, Singing or singers, Jazz music, Fame, Ambition, Success or failure
- Locales: Chicago, IL
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, the first of Wilson's plays to win wide acclaim, is among his finest work. Set in a recording studio in the 1920's, the story takes place over the course of an afternoon, as a group of musicians and the legendary blues singer Ma Rainey record several songs. Much of the play takes the form of discussions and arguments among the four musicians, each of whom brings his own perspective to questions of prejudice and the problems facing black people in American society.
Toledo, a thoughtful, serious man, speaks of racial pride and the need for...
[The entire page is 917 words long]
See Also:
August Wilson (Cyclopedia of World Authors)August Wilson (Identities and Issues)August Wilson (Drama)
See Also:
- - Ma Rainey's Black Bottom summary and study guide in the eNotes.
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