This article attempts to unearth those elements which bind the character of the Old Woman, more than that of any other figure in African-American theater, to the half-human, half-divine mythical Trickster. The essay examines the Old Woman's flair, her ambivalent personality, her mastery of language, exageration and humour and, above all, her eagerness to lead others into situations of conflict. It is based on plays by Georgia D. Johnson, Marita Bonner, Louis Feterson, Abram Hill, Theodore ward, Loften Mitchell, Lorraine Hansberry, Ted Shine, Gayl Jones, Dianne Houston, Leslie Lee, Robert Alexander, Elizabeth Brown Guillory and August Wilson.