On Strivers Row

directed by Timothy Johnson

On Strivers Row at the American Negro Theatre 

Oscar and Dolly Van Striven are hosting their daughter's debutante party in their townhouse on Strivers Row, but the success of the social event of the season is by no means guaranteed. A scheming socialite from Brooklyn, a judgmental grandmother, a secret boyfriend, a presumptuous lottery winner, and none other than 'Joe the Jiver' all want to come to this party. The first major production of the American Negro Theatre in 1940 is described as a satire on African-American social climbing. But it is a complex work masquerading as a farce, dealing with issues of class, gender roles and intra-racial stereotyping.