African-American Players on the Shakespearean Stage; Ira Aldridge

I am excited this evening to see the Lantern Theater’s production of Red Velvet, a play about the life of African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) 

and learn more about the pivotal moment in British abolitionist history in which he played the role of Othello in London, and his fascinating career as a black actor in Europe and all that this entailed.

Cast of Lantern Theater's Red Velvet- photo Mark Garvin

Red Velvet’s run has been extended to October 15, 2017 and over the next week I will share some really interesting information about African-Americans’ long history of participation on the Shakespearean stage and interesting tidbits about the fascinating Ira Aldridge.  I leave now with one of my favorite photographs of Howard University’s Howard Players all-Black Shakespeare cast taken in 1937.  (I am not sure of the play.)  

Here is a link for more information  about The Lantern Theater’s presentation of Red Velvet, click here: http://www.lanterntheater.org/plays/red-velvet.html   Let’s support theatre that tells our stories.

 

The Howard Players, 1937- Who can identify what play they were presenting?