Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen

Angelina Lippert ’07, Executive Director and Curator, has invited us to return to Poster House for an SCC NYC members-only private tour of the show “Act Black: Posters from Black American Stage & Screen.”

Starting in the 1880s, Black performers and those invested in telling stories centering Black people attempted to counter the dehumanizing and harmful stereotypes used to portray Black characters. Shows began touting “All Colored Revues” to indicate that a cast was made up of actual Black performers rather than white people in blackface.

Since theatrical performances were rarely recorded and many of the movies that featured all-Black casts are now considered “lost films,” advertising posters often provide the only remaining evidence of the most important productions. The posters in this exhibition allow viewers to consider how Black storytelling was transferred and transformed during its transition from stage to screen.

The tour will be led by the curator of the show, Es-pranza Humphrey, who has delighted us often with her enthusiastic tours.

🔗 View full exhibition details

Tickets are $10 and limited to 40 SCC NYC members.

💡 Have questions?
Email us at events@smithclubnyc.com