PLAYS

"Mulatto"

Written in the summer of 1926 and is about "white fathers and Negro mother's in the South. A son confronts his father about the use of his mother's body.

"Black Nativity"

First performed off- Broadway on December 11, 1961 and was one of the first plays written by an African American to be staged there.

"Soul Gone Home"

An one act play written in 1937. The play is about a son who berates his mother for her negligent behavior but she becomes angry at for not appreciating her care.

"Tambourines to Glory"

Written in 1956 black gospel musical play. It tells the story of two females street preachers who open a store front church in Harlem.

Because of his fame as a poet Hughes' importance as a dramatist has been overlooked. Hughes wrote nearly 70 plays for the radio, television, musicals, and operas.