Moorish American Style
The very idea that I would be studying Shakespeare inside the Chicago Actors Studio in the mid 2000’s was an in and out of body experience. In this way you feel in a flowing dream state of play memorization and perhaps a word or two does not quite verbally flow, as it's written on the page. And then there's Shakespeare, you're fully awake whereby you're in a script-boot-camp, and you most definitely can not (out of respect) embellish through, it will not work. I originally flew to Chicago to audition for two major ballet dance companies and one modern dance in a different year. This was post Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre traveling around the world. I was seeking something different, perhaps it was to dance in a new town!? It didn’t garner me a dance contract and being without physical injury or drama in my life, my ballerina spirit for the first time since age 7, was feeling very hurt and let down
The happenstance of returning there a few years later to act on stage at the Goodman Theatre, led me to enroll and study Shakespeare along with private jazz voice lessons! This just wasn’t on my radar. I remember a first exercise, of memorizing a short sonnet from Richard III, for projecting strong emotion and then using Othello with softer emotion, sometimes while holding a burning candle to not have it blown out. Thankfully, continuing to study Stanislavski method acting there, kept me mentally and physically aroused. And I had my renaissance dance background to put into my carriage of posture!
Chicago is an unrivaled beautifully landscaped city of pleasures, architecture, museums, cultural arts, and a diversified plethora of epicurean haunts. It could be like New York City; but, it’s not. I celebrate and acknowledge this long list of such notable African American actors who not only wrapped their tongues around the serious art of speaking and understanding the elegant prose—they lived it.
J.A. Arneaux (1855 - ?) Most noted for playing Iago and Richard III. African American actor born in Georgia of a white French Father and a black mother. Actor and manager of the Astor Place Company of Colored Tragedians; the leading Black dramatic troupe in America in the 1880.
John Mason Brown (1900-1969)
Ira Aldridge (1807-1865) First African American actor to perform the role of Aaron in Titus Andronicus. Forty years as a Shakespearean actor abroad. First to break free of limiting Black actors of playing Shakespearean roles. He played two roles: Othello and The Prince of Morocco, in addition to Aaron. Died in Poland.
William Henry Brown (1815-1884) Founder of the New York African Theater. Retired West Indian steamship steward. Created the African Grove theater in New York City, where Richard III (21 September 1821) and Othello were produced. 3
Roscoe Lee Brown (1922-2007) Soothsayer and Pindarus in Julius Ceaser.
Jack Carter (1902-1967) African American actor. Played Macbeth in Macbeth
Henrietta Vinton Davis (1860-1941) First African American to perform Cleopatra. Born in Baltimore, Md. She was a teacher, elocutionist, dramatist, impersonator and activist. Founded her own drama company.
Ossie Davis (1917-2005) Graduate of Howard University. A Celebration of Paul Robeson” (1988, benefit concert).
Ruby Dee (1922-2014) Wife of Ossie Davis and actress within her on right. Played in King Lear (1965), Taming of the Shrew (1965), Hamlet (1975)
Jasper Deeter (1893-1972) Actor/Director. Founded New York’s Hedgerow Theatre.
Owen Dodson (1914-1983) African American poet and playwright. Director. 4
Charles Dutton (1951- ) Yale School of Drama.
James L. Farmer (1920-1999) Mentor and activist.
Thomas T. Fortune (1856-1928) Orator, Civil Rights leader, journalist, writer, and editor. Leading economist in the black community, activist.
Al Freeman, Jr. (1934-2012) Actor, mentor and activist
Morgan Freeman (1937- ) In 1990, Morgan Freeman starred in "The Taming of the Shrew" in New York Park. Season two of Shakespeare Uncovered to understand how and why “Taming of the Shrew” was written. 6
Charles Gilpin (1878-1930) African American actor. Highly regarded during the 1920s. Do not see any works relating to Shakespeare.
Richard B. Harrison (1864-1935) Actor, teacher, dramatic reader and lecturer.
James Hewlett (1778-1836) First African American Shakespearean actor. Premier actor of William Henry Brown, Manager, New York African Theater.
Paul Molyneaux Hewlett (1856-1891) Dramatic actor born in Cambridge, Mass. Immigrated to Britain to seek acknowledgement and hone his skills.
Errol Hill (1921-2003) Trinidad born playwright, actor and theater historian. One of the leading pioneers in the West Indies theatre”. 5
Ellen Holly (1931- ) Actress. Played a racially ambiguous role crossing both Caucasian and African heritages. Played Regan in King Lear.
Robert Hooks (1937- ) Actor, producer and political activist. He played the role of ‘Henry V’ at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1965.
Earle Hyman (1926 – 2011) Actor. Played the title role of Prince of Morocco.
James Earl Jones (1931- ) Actor. Performed Shakespeare’s Othello at the White House Evening of Poetry (2009)
Canada Lee (1907-1952) Actor and important pioneer for African Americans. Played in The Tempest in 1945 for Margret Webster’s NY Performance.
William Marshall (1924-2003) Actor, director and opera singer. Voice recording as Othello in the Merchant of Venice (1964).
Asa Philip Randolph (1889-1979) Debater and activist, actor who memorized roles of Othello, Hamlet and Prince of Morocco of The Merchant of Venice. Political activist and leader of the Brotherhood of Pullman Porters Movement.
Paul Robeson (1889-1976) Athlete, scholar and actor. Graduate of Rutger’s University. Robeson’s Shakespearean work as Othello was first seen in London 1930, because of the discrimination he experienced here in the United States. Public angered by his association with the Communist Party.
Samuel Morgan Smith (1833-1882) Actor, appeared as Othello, Richard III, Macbeth, Hamlet and Shylock in 1866, later made his claim to fame playing Othello at the London Olympic theatre.
Howard Taubman (1907-1996) Music critic, theater critic, and author.
Henry Wallack (1790-1870) Actor and colleague of Ira Aldridge.
Denzel Washington (1954- ) “Much Ado About Nothing.” Played the role of Don Pedro
Jane White (1922-2011) Actress, won an Obie Award for her roles in the 1965-66 NY Shakespeare Festival: Coriolanus and Love’s Labour’s Lost.
Egbert Austin Williams (1874-1922) Entertainer, actor, and comedian. American/Bahamian blackface vaudeville star. Played several Shakespearean roles.
Paul Winfield (1939-2004) Television, film and stage actor. Played at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C.
?*University of Maryland, University Libraries May 03, 2016