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Who are the protagonists and antagonists in the play The Colored Museum by George C. Wolfe?

George C. Wolfe’s play The Colored Museum premiered in 1986. The play is structured as a series of 11 “exhibits,” or brief sketches that explore themes of African American life.


The first sketch, “Git on Board,” features the protagonist Miss Pat, a flight attendant on the “celebrity slaveship.” This sketch has no direct antagonist but explores broader, societal conflicts. The next sketch again has no antagonist character but portrays Mammy Aunt Ethel hosting a cooking...

George C. Wolfe’s play The Colored Museum premiered in 1986. The play is structured as a series of 11 “exhibits,” or brief sketches that explore themes of African American life.


The first sketch, “Git on Board,” features the protagonist Miss Pat, a flight attendant on the “celebrity slaveship.” This sketch has no direct antagonist but explores broader, societal conflicts. The next sketch again has no antagonist character but portrays Mammy Aunt Ethel hosting a cooking show. “The Photo Session” criticizes how African Americans have been portrayed in magazines. “Soldier with a Secret” is a monologue exploring domestic violence. In “The Gospel According to Miss Roj” scene, transgender character Miss Roj deals with issues of poverty, sexuality, and racism.  “The Hairpiece” features two wigs as protagonists, offering commentary on African American identity. The scene “The Last Mama-on-the-Couch Play” parodies the play The Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansbury, and does describe an antagonist, The Man. In “Symbiosis” and “Lala’s Opening,” both protagonists face antagonists in the form of their childhood selves. In the scene “Permutations,” protagonist Normal Jean describes an unusual pregnancy—laying a giant egg. The final sketch “The Party” features Topsy Washington imagining a fantasy party.  


Overall, The Colored Museum is a nontraditional exploration of themes of race and identity. Just as it is difficult to a point to a single antagonist who has caused problems of racial inequality, this play has no clear antagonist. Rather, characters wrestle with conflicts both societal and internal.  

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