Preface

{ xi } Preface As we approached the thirtieth anniversary of Theatre History Studies, it occurred to me that it would be appropriate to collect a special topics theme for volume 30. African and African Ameri­ can theatre proved to be exciting topics, and I put out the call. The response was very positive, and we received many essays of high quality. The biggest challenge in the selection process was recruiting qualified readers, particularly on the topic of contemporary African theatre . Thank you to all of the readers who read so thoroughly and commented so thoughtfully. And thank you to the authors who responded generously and enthusiastically to the readers’ suggestions. I will let the essays speak for themselves, but I will say that this volume has been a joy and a challenge to work on. I believe it fills a gap in academic writing , and I hope readers will enjoy it, academics can incorporate it into their curriculum , and students will find it helpful and illuminating. Rhona Justice-­ Malloy, Editor ...