BLACK THEATER

Henry Louis Gates Jr. could not have better defined today’s black theater touring shows than as being “chitlin theater” (“Dramatically Different,” by Emory Holmes II, April 27). As a recent graduate with a master’s in African American studies/theater, I am highly disappointed that these productions are perpetuating stereotypical images of black life.

As an up-and-coming playwright and producer, I refuse to submit my talents to the simplicity of a mere laugh. African Americans need to realize that our stories should not be based around a buffoonish plot. The real movement begins when we, as theatrical artists, study and implement the philosophies of our predecessors into our present-day work.

GINA M. JACKSON

San Diego