An American Play on African Words: A She--He Dialogue.

This paper demonstrates the adaptability of a poet's words to a variety of themes and techniques, and primarily illustrates how the poetic treasures of the African world can be used to create awareness that words are biracial, cross-cultural, and transsexual. The key thesis of the paper is that once an African poet has published a work, the words then become the interpretive property of each reading individual. The main activity outlined and encouraged involves the adaptation of poetry into a dramatic production. Included in the paper are the following: (1) a reasoned defense of the viability of the theoretical basis for the activity; (2) a play, called a "She--He Dialogue," which involves three characters (Narrator, She, He) and is comprised of excerpts from African poetry by various authors; and (3) 34 citations locating the sources of the poetry quotations. Twelve footnotes and 13 references are attached. (HB)