nytimes September 22, 2021 10:00am A Black Theater Flourished in New York. 200 Years Ago. #theater #blackpeople #africantheater #africangrove #brownwilliamalexander #hewlettjames #mcallistermarvin #audiopositiveescape #audiopositivenostalgic #news A Black Theater Flourished in New York. 200 Years Ago. The African Theater, which had its first performance on Sept. 17, 1821, is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale.