Rites and Reason was founded in September 1970 by Professor George Houston Bass and became a formal component of the then Program in Afro-American Studies in 1975. It was born out of the Black Arts Movement and student protests at Brown University. It is now part of the Department of Africana Studies. The mission of the theatre is to develop new creative works which analyze and articulate the phenomenal and universal odyssey of the African Diaspora. Rites and Reason developed and uses its unique Research-to-Performance Method (RPM) to develop new creative works. Through this commitment, Rites and Reason has developed creative works that have explored the experiences and expressions of peoples and cultures from across the world. It is one of the oldest continuously producing Black theatres in the nation.

This collection contains photographs and videos of performances created by Rites and Reason Theatre.