Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death : A Theatrical Counterpoint to Sweetback

This article examines the development and staging of Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death, situating it within the history of Black-themed theatrical production on and off Broadway. This history reveals Melvin Van Peebles’s talent for moving themes, songs, narratives, and characters across media, from musical compositions to novels, theater, and cinema. Further, I argue that an understanding of Van Peebles’s theatrical work opens an important pathway for contextualizing his better-known cinematic efforts. Van Peebles effectively took advantage of theater’s narrative flexibility to create a diverse pantheon of characters that, by comparison, decenters Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song! ’s (1971) male protagonist. Further, the theatrical mode allows for a more intimate and personal relationship with its audience, which Van Peebles used to directly challenge them politically—especially White audience members.