{"podcast":{"title":"New Books in Communications","slug":"new-books-in-communications-408774","podcast_index_feed_id":408774,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/LIT1384621729","website_url":"https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/politics-society/communications/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/1bb7b7f6-ef86-11e8-9a06-37c6ac8354be/image/6fbb3983a600dfcc86187dba32db8e5b.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"New Books Network","episode_count":1910,"summary":"This podcast is a channel on the New Books Network. The New Books Network is an academic audio library dedicated to public education. In each episode you will hear scholars discuss their recently published research with another expert in their field. Discover our 150+ channels and browse our 28,000+ episodes on our website: ⁠newbooksnetwork.com⁠ Subscribe to our free weekly Substack newsletter to get informative, engaging content straight to your inbox: ⁠https://newbooksnetwork.substack.com/⁠ Follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to learn about more our latest interviews: @newbooksnetwork Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications","last_synced_at":"2026-06-26T10:18:31.762101+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-communications-408774"},"episode":{"title":"Cheryl Thompson, \"Staging Blackface in Canada: Public Amusements, Variety Shows, and Racial Acts in an Age of Imitation, 1898-1919\" (Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2026)","slug":"cheryl-thompson-staging-blackface-in-canada-public-amusements-variety-shows-and-racial-acts-in-an-age-of-imitation-1898-1919-wilfrid-laurier-press-2026","published_at":"2026-06-16T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-communications-408774/cheryl-thompson-staging-blackface-in-canada-public-amusements-variety-shows-and-racial-acts-in-an-age-of-imitation-1898-1919-wilfrid-laurier-press-2026","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-communications-408774","url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4420561605.mp3","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/NBNK4420561605.mp3","summary":"In the early twentieth century, as variety shows flooded Canadian stages, new forms of blackface, inspired by modern forms of amusements, changed the theatre. In this era marked by progressive social reforms, the stage embodied the modern ethos of imitation, mimicry, and change. Staging Blackface in Canada: Public Amusements, Variety Shows, and Racial Acts in an Age of Imitation, 1898-1919 (Wilfrid Laurier Press, 2026) covers a moment when Canadians did not produce professional theatre, but they built amusement parks, wrote songs, and produced records. As the stage (drama), and its variants (burlesque, light opera) adapted elements from the new stages (amusement parks, social dance, and film), the modern culture popularized forms of blackface that impacted white, Anglo-Protestant, and English-speaking audiences, and drew theatrical criticism. This book explores a twenty-year period in Canada’s history when there was no media regulation, and no mandate to promote Canadian culture. Through an examination of theatrical reviews, images, and textual records, Staging Blackface in Canada locates how the Canadian stage became a playground for ethnic jokes, racial caricature, and women’s emancipation. It also locates some of the first Black musicals and operas to appear on Canadian stages. This episode also mentions a previous Additions to the Archive episode with assistant curator of New York City’s Poster House museum, Es-pranza Humphrey, and her exhibition “Act Black: Posters From Black American Stage & Screen.” You can find Cheryl at her website, on Instagram, and on LinkedIn And check out her previous appearances on the Additions to the Archive podcast and Substack. Subscribe, like, follow, and rate Additions to the Archive with Sullivan Summer on Instagram, Substack, and…","meta_description":"In the early twentieth century, as variety shows flooded Canadian stages, new forms of blackface, inspired by modern forms of amusements, changed the thea…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":0,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/new-books-in-communications-408774/episodes/cheryl-thompson-staging-blackface-in-canada-public-amusements-variety-shows-and-racial-acts-in-an-age-of-imitation-1898-1919-wilfrid-laurier-press-2026/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/new-books-in-communications-408774/cheryl-thompson-staging-blackface-in-canada-public-amusements-variety-shows-and-racial-acts-in-an-age-of-imitation-1898-1919-wilfrid-laurier-press-2026.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}