“as a poet in american theater/ i find most activity that takes place on our stages overwhelmingly shallow/ stilted & imitative,” (Lost in Language & Sound, 13).
As an artist, what Shange wants to create is a moment/experience and not a product. Shange argues that the American theater tradition that many black artists emulate are not sufficient to reach black people. The American theater tradition “cannot function for those of us from this hemisphere,” (13). She says that this theater tradition comes from a “[E]uropean psychology” that cannot and is not meant to heal and nurture black individuals. She means that this form is not useful for black people because it does not convey their experiences. Read More