Historical Background, Dramaturgy, and Design
Explore the historical context embedded in East Texas Hot Links, its dramaturgy, and the design of Court Theatre’s production.
Please note that many of the resources included in these materials include explicit references to and/or images depicting racial violence. Please take care while using this Learning Guide.
- Jim Crow
- A Brief History of Civil Rights in the United States: Jim Crow Era: This article from Howard University’s School of Law outlines the origins and realities of the Jim Crow South.
- Jim Crow Laws: This History.com page is a great resource for a deeper dive into the early forms of oppression of Black people that followed the Civil War, all the way up through the court striking down segregation legislation in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Jim Crow law, United States [1877-1954]: This Encyclopedia Britannica page gives a detailed account of the origins and impacts of Jim Crow laws.
- Law professor unearths cases of racial violence from the Jim Crow era: This NPR interview with researcher Margaret Burnham sheds light on the brutal—and pervasive—race-based violence in the US, which often went unreported by the news.
- Lynching and Racial Terror
- Terror Lynching in America: This 5-minute video by the Equal Justice Intiative explains the violence wrought on Black America by racial terror lynching.
- Race War in East Texas: The Slocum Massacre’s Forgotten Victims | Town On Fire: This 3-minute video by REVOLT explains the devastation caused by a white mob when they attacked this thriving Black town in East Texas.
- Where the Bodies are Buried: This article shares the pain and experiences of the descendants of both the victims and survivors of the Slocum Massacre.
- Lynching and its Legacy in Texas | Jeffrey L. Littlejohn | TEDxSHSU: This 15-minute TED Talk explores Texas’s efforts to heal from its history of lynching.
- The Lynching of George Hughes: In 1930, a Black man named George Hughes was brutally murdered in Sherman, Texas. This article tells the story of his death and thrusts the painful facts into the light.
- Race in America: The legacy of the murder of James Byrd Jr: This video documents the impact of the 1998 lynching of James Byrd in East Texas, 23 years after it happened.
- Lynching in America: The Equal Justice Initiative put together this website that traces America’s history of lynching. It includes an interactive map that includes a look into the racial terror lynchings in East Texas.
- Greenville, Texas: Known for the lynching of Ted Smith in 1908 and an infamous banner in town, Greenville has a painful past to reckon with.
- The Ku Klux Klan in Waco: This article examines the robust history of the KKK in Waco, Texas.
- Juke Joints
- Down at the Juke: A brief overview of the juke joints that inspired Charlesetta’s Top o’ the Hill Café.
- As Production Dramaturg Kamesha Khan writes, “Juke joints were a critical part of Southern social life for Blacks. While East Texas Hot Links is not set in a juke joint, Charlesetta’s Top o’ the Hill Cafe serves a similar function for her community.” Check out these videos documenting these hubs of community in the South:
Dramaturgy
- Check out these videos from Writers Theatre and 11Alive in Atlanta, featuring Playwright Eugene Lee speaking about East Texas Hot Links.
- I Am The Night–Color Me Black: Director Ron OJ Parson has named this episode of the Twilight Zone from 1964 (season 5, episode 26) as a major inspiration for him when it comes to East Texas Hot Links. The episode is also available on Paramount+ and Prime Video.
- The World of East Texas Hot Links: Production Dramaturg Kamesha Khan explores of how time and place shape East Texas Hot Links.
Design
Behind the Scenes: Scenic Designer Jack Magaw and Co-Costume Designer Janice Pytel give an inside look into the designs and inspirations for East Texas Hot Links.