Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Shange, Ntozake, American, 1948 - 2018
Subject of
Crossroads Theatre Company, American, founded 1978
Date
1978
Medium
papier-mâché with paint and ink
Dimensions
H x W x D: 10 1/2 × 7 × 2 1/4 in. (26.7 × 17.8 × 5.7 cm)
Caption
The cast members wore minstrel masks like this one for the opening sequence of Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem “Spell No. 7,” which explores the frustrations of Black performers contending with current and historical racism in the theater. A larger version of the mask provides the stage backdrop for the entire production. This mask is from the initial 1978 production at Crossroads Theatre in New Jersey. The work was later staged by The Public Theater in 1979, first as a free workshop as part of the New York Shakespeare Festival, with a revised and partially recast version appearing later on the Anspacher Stage. It was later produced by other companies in Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Atlanta.
Description
A papier-mâché face mask from Spell #7. The oval mask is covered in shiny black paint, with exaggerated facial features highlighted with white paint around the eyes and on the lips, evoking blackface minstrelsy. The paint is chipped and scuffed in some areas. The black paint continues around the edge of the mask’s interior, the rest of which is off-white. A black elastic band tied around the outer edge of each eye hole. There is an inscription [Carol R.] in black ink with the signature [Ntozake Shange] in blue ink in the forehead area of the interior.
Classification
Props and Set Design
Type
masks (costume)
Topic
Blackface
Literature
Minstrel shows
Poetry
Race discrimination
Theatre
Theatre companies
Women
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ntozake Shange
Object number
2016.131.1
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd53787e67d-b5eb-4fb9-977c-f0e1f31c021c

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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