Harlem Duet

The title of the play is Harlem Duet. In many ways, Harlem itself is a character. Examine the importance of Harlem to the characters, both historic and personal, and how the location impacts their lives and futures.

The playwright has called Harlem Duet a “rhapsodic blues tragedy.” What do you interpret this to mean? Take each word of this description and explain how it relates to the play’s structure, tone, and meaning. Use examples from the text to support your positions.

Harlem Duet is rich with references to real-life people and historic events that hold great importance to the Black community. Choose three of these references and discuss why they are important as well as why the playwright may have chosen to include them over others. For example, how do they help illustrate some of the play’s themes?