1991: I Ain't Yo Uncle

The familiar characters of Eliza, George, Little Eva, Tom, Topsy, Simon Legree -and others who have become synonymous with racist stereotypes- are all here, but with a difference! Tom, virtually silent in the original version, is given a powerful voice; Topsy (the original pickaninny) has an acutely modern awareness; and runaway slave George Harris' passion for freedom and justice continues to resonate today.

Challenging in concept, this new "Uncle Tom" is viewed from an African American perspective, switching back and forth between Stowe's period to the present and examining the problem of race in America at its roots. I Ain't Yo Uncle allows no easy answers and reminds us that not enough has changed.