ABSTRACT
In 1940, Abram Hill and Frederick O'Neal organized the American Negro Theatre (ANT) in Harlem. Products of the Federal Theatre Project, both men dedicated themselves to building a theatre that produced works reflective of the local community and provided a training ground for the participants. For ten years ANT showcased a host of talents including Ruby Dee, Alice and Alvin Childress, Ethel Ayers, Earle Hyman, Helen Martin, Roger Furman, Owen Dodson, Clarice Taylor, and Perry Watkins, the first African American to be admitted to the Designer's Union. On Striver's Row became the company's most successful play, appearing three times over its ten-year history. Farcically examining the relationship between the "upper" and "lower" classes of Harlem and Sugar Hill, the play took viewers into the homes of the wealthy who often looked down on the less fortunate. Set in the real-life Striver's Row section of Harlem, the opening scene between Sophie, the maid, and Dolly Van Striven sets the tone as Sophie deals with the realities of everyday life for the working class and Dolly imitates the mores and manners of her White counterparts. ANT audiences found the play entertaining and reflective of people they associated with (Joe, Beulah, Ruby) or those they caught a glimpse of from afar (Cobina, Tillie Petunia, Oscar Van Striven).
