The new exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, "Syncopated Stages: Black Disruptions to the Great White Way,” explores how Black performers made their way to American stages, finding and creating opportunities to move forward and thrive even as they faced obstacles that threatened to hold them back, from the late 1800s to the present. Among the subjects covered are the era of minstrel shows, controversial for their demeaning portrayal of African Americans and use of black face, which nevertheless offered black performers an avenue to a life in theater, either as a performing or producer; early breakout performers, such as the Fisk Jubilee Singers and popular stage hits like Shuffle Along; the popularity of Harlem night clubs; late 20th century advances such as The Wiz and the growth of Black television entertainment; and the present-day, including the Tony Award-winning 2022 Musical A Strange Loop. The show was curated by playwright,professor and scholar Michael Dinwiddie, who passed away in July before the exhibit opened.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz speaks with Doug Reside, curator of the Lewis and Dorothy Cullman Theater Collection, and Arminda Thomas, who served on the exhibit’s advisory panel, about the exhibit and Dinwiddie's work.
The exhibit continues through Feb. 21, 2026.
