Podcast appearances and mentions of Ira Aldridge

We meet Ekow Eshun, leading curator, writer and broadcaster to discuss his new book The Strangers.In the western imagination, a Black man is always a stranger. Outsider, foreigner, intruder, alien. One who remains associated with their origins irrespective of how far they have travelled from them. One who is not an individual in their own right but the representative of a type. What kind of performance is required for a person to survive this condition? And what happens beneath the mask?In answer, Ekow Eshun conjures the voices of five very different men. Ira Aldridge: nineteenth century actor and playwright. Matthew Henson: polar explorer. Frantz Fanon: psychiatrist and political philosopher. Malcolm X: activist leader. Justin Fashanu: million-pound footballer. Each a trailblazer in his field. Each haunted by a sense of isolation and exile. Each reaching for a better future.Ekow Eshun tells their stories with breathtaking lyricism and empathy, capturing both the hostility and the beauty they experienced in the world. And he locates them within a wider landscape of Black art, culture, history and politics which stretches from Africa to Europe to North America and the Caribbean. As he moves through this landscape, he maps its thematic contours and fault lines, uncovering traces of the monstrous and the fantastic, of exile and escape, of conflict and vulnerability, and of the totemic central figure of the stranger.Described as a ‘cultural polymath', Ekow Eshun has been at the heart of international creative culture for several decades, curating exhibitions, authoring books, presenting documentaries and chairing high-profile lectures. His work stretches the span of identity, style, masculinity, art and culture. Ekow rose to prominence as a trailblazer in British culture. He was the first Black editor of a major magazine in the UK (Arena Magazine in 1997) and continued to break ground as the first Black director of a major arts organisation, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London (2005-2010).As Chairman of the commissioning group for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, he leads one of the world's most famous public art projects.In July 2022, Ekow curated In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery in London a landmark exhibition of visionary Black artists exploring myth, science fiction and Afrofuturism. His most recent exhibition, The Time Is Always Now, is a landmark study of the Black figure and its representation in contemporary art. The show opened at the National Portrait Gallery, London and is travelling to multiple venues in the USA, including The Philadelphia Museum of Art.Eshun's writing has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Observer, Esquire and Wired. His latest book is a work of creative non fiction called The Strangers, published by Penguin in September 2024.Follow @EkowEshun or www.ekoweshun.co.uk/Buy The Strangers, his new book from Waterstone's. Learn more:https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/319734/the-strangers-by-eshun-ekow/9780241472026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Time and Place of Performance” looks at the vast circuits of nineteenth-century performance. Amy Huang (Bates College) and Kellen Hoxworth (University at Buffalo, SUNY) consider how nineteenth-century performances move backward and forward, citing past moments, and themselves undergoing processes of recycling and re-presentation to move into the future and challenge the framework of the nation-state. This conversation explores the transoceanic circuits of plays and artists (such as Ira Aldridge and Rose Quong) and the unexpected connections between blackface and yellowface performance to consider how and whether it might be important to teach nineteenth-century theatre and performance. Although Huang and Hoxworth both find some of this theatre “bad,” they discuss how we might teach these plays and performances in ways that do not depend on shoring up these works' exemplariness or exceptionality. How might we stay with the “bad,” the partial, and the minor moments of theatre and performance history? Full transcript available at https://bit.ly/S08E02Transcript.

Send us a Text Message.This month's episode focuses on Red Velvet, the 2012 play by Lolita Chakrabarti.Laura has been speaking to actor Papa Anoh Yentumi about his role as the young Ira Aldridge in the upcoming Crescent Theatre Company production of the play.We also learn more about the play and the actor who inspired it, the American Ira Aldridge, who was the first black actor in England to play Othello on the professional stage.

Fred Wilson's artistic output includes painting, sculpture, photography, and collage, among other media. But his 1992 work “Mining the Museum” at the Maryland Historical Society used the museum's own collection as its material, radically reframing how American institutions present their art. Wilson went on to represent the United States at the 2003 Venice Biennale. For that exhibition, Wilson commissioned a black glass chandelier from the famed Venice glassmakers on the island of Murano. Wilson titled the piece “Speak of me as I am,” after the line from Shakespeare's tragic Venetian, Othello. In the years since then, Wilson has made several other pieces that engage with Othello, many of them made from the same evocative black Murano glass. In a new installation piece commissioned by the Folger, Wilson brings together two sides of his artistic practice: institutional critique and glass sculpture. It's titled “God me such uses send, Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend”—another line from Othello, this one spoken by Desdemona. The installation includes a massive black-glass mirror, ornately etched and filigreed. Visitors see themselves reflected in the mirror, along with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth that hangs opposite the mirror in the gallery. On another wall hangs an engraving of the actor Ira Aldridge in the role of Othello, alongside lines from the play written out in Aldridge's own hand. The piece brings together questions of identity, belonging, erasure, and representation—and lets those facets reflect and refract one another, without easy answers. On this episode, Wilson discusses the piece with host Barbara Bogaev. Fred Wilson's installation, “God me such uses send, Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend,” will welcome visitors to the Shakespeare Exhibition Hall when the Folger reopens on June 21. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published June 4, 2024. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer. Leonor Fernandez edits our transcripts. We had technical help from Digital Island Studios in New York and Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc.

We often misuse the word melodrama with abandon, especially to characterize other people's behaviors, but Greg Vargo defines it for us once and for all. Emerging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the predominant Western theatrical form, it is a genre of crisis. To that end, it employed hyperbolic language, extreme situations, extraordinary coincidences, stark oppositions and so on. Greg talks about his own ongoing work on melodramas about race, their histories of performance, and the storied career of the African American actor Ira Aldridge. Greg Vargo is Associate Professor at the Department of English, New York University. His research focuses on the literary and cultural milieu of nineteenth-century British protest movements and the interplay between politics, periodical culture, the novel and theater. His first book, An Underground History of Early Victorian Fiction: Chartism, Radical Print Culture, and the Social Problem Novel (Cambridge UP, 2018), won the 2019 North American Victorian Studies Association's award for best book of the year in Victorian Studies. He has recently edited Chartist Drama (Manchester UP, 2020), a collection of four plays written or performed by members of the working-class movement for social and political rights known as Chartism. A new project focuses on anti-imperialism in nineteenth-century popular culture (across such media as penny novels and stage melodrama) as well as in radical politics. Image: © 2024 Saronik Bosu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

We often misuse the word melodrama with abandon, especially to characterize other people's behaviors, but Greg Vargo defines it for us once and for all. Emerging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the predominant Western theatrical form, it is a genre of crisis. To that end, it employed hyperbolic language, extreme situations, extraordinary coincidences, stark oppositions and so on. Greg talks about his own ongoing work on melodramas about race, their histories of performance, and the storied career of the African American actor Ira Aldridge. Greg Vargo is Associate Professor at the Department of English, New York University. His research focuses on the literary and cultural milieu of nineteenth-century British protest movements and the interplay between politics, periodical culture, the novel and theater. His first book, An Underground History of Early Victorian Fiction: Chartism, Radical Print Culture, and the Social Problem Novel (Cambridge UP, 2018), won the 2019 North American Victorian Studies Association's award for best book of the year in Victorian Studies. He has recently edited Chartist Drama (Manchester UP, 2020), a collection of four plays written or performed by members of the working-class movement for social and political rights known as Chartism. A new project focuses on anti-imperialism in nineteenth-century popular culture (across such media as penny novels and stage melodrama) as well as in radical politics. Image: © 2024 Saronik Bosu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often misuse the word melodrama with abandon, especially to characterize other people's behaviors, but Greg Vargo defines it for us once and for all. Emerging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the predominant Western theatrical form, it is a genre of crisis. To that end, it employed hyperbolic language, extreme situations, extraordinary coincidences, stark oppositions and so on. Greg talks about his own ongoing work on melodramas about race, their histories of performance, and the storied career of the African American actor Ira Aldridge. Greg Vargo is Associate Professor at the Department of English, New York University. His research focuses on the literary and cultural milieu of nineteenth-century British protest movements and the interplay between politics, periodical culture, the novel and theater. His first book, An Underground History of Early Victorian Fiction: Chartism, Radical Print Culture, and the Social Problem Novel (Cambridge UP, 2018), won the 2019 North American Victorian Studies Association's award for best book of the year in Victorian Studies. He has recently edited Chartist Drama (Manchester UP, 2020), a collection of four plays written or performed by members of the working-class movement for social and political rights known as Chartism. A new project focuses on anti-imperialism in nineteenth-century popular culture (across such media as penny novels and stage melodrama) as well as in radical politics. Image: © 2024 Saronik Bosu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

We often misuse the word melodrama with abandon, especially to characterize other people's behaviors, but Greg Vargo defines it for us once and for all. Emerging in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the predominant Western theatrical form, it is a genre of crisis. To that end, it employed hyperbolic language, extreme situations, extraordinary coincidences, stark oppositions and so on. Greg talks about his own ongoing work on melodramas about race, their histories of performance, and the storied career of the African American actor Ira Aldridge. Greg Vargo is Associate Professor at the Department of English, New York University. His research focuses on the literary and cultural milieu of nineteenth-century British protest movements and the interplay between politics, periodical culture, the novel and theater. His first book, An Underground History of Early Victorian Fiction: Chartism, Radical Print Culture, and the Social Problem Novel (Cambridge UP, 2018), won the 2019 North American Victorian Studies Association's award for best book of the year in Victorian Studies. He has recently edited Chartist Drama (Manchester UP, 2020), a collection of four plays written or performed by members of the working-class movement for social and political rights known as Chartism. A new project focuses on anti-imperialism in nineteenth-century popular culture (across such media as penny novels and stage melodrama) as well as in radical politics. Image: © 2024 Saronik Bosu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

Zostać pastorem czy aktorem? Takie dylematy miał bohater dzisiejszego odcinka - Ira Aldridge. Najwybitniejszy czarny aktor szekspirowski w dziejach świata. Był przyjacielem Tarasa Szewczenki, a spoczywa w Łodzi. Czy zabił go zdenerwowany kelner czy zapalenie płuc? W 1 867 roku "Tygodnik Ilustrowny" warszawski donosił - "Kto mógłby się spodziewać, że Otello, Makbet, Shylock umrą w Łodzi".

Lolita Chakrabarti is the playwright of Red Velvet, about 19th-century Black actor Ira Aldridge, and has adapted Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities and Yann Martel's The Life of Pi for the stage. Now, she has adapted Maggie O'Farrell's bestselling novel Hamnet for the stage. Hamnet is currently playing at the Royal Shakespeare Company's Swan Theatre. The play tells the story of a young Agnes Hathaway and William Shakespeare as they fall in love and start a family, and the psychological damage caused by the death of their son, Hamnet. Barbara Bogaev talks with Chakrabarti about adapting O'Farrell's story, how she portrays the Shakespeare family, and her earlier play Red Velvet. Hamnet is onstage at the Royal Shakespeare Company's newly restored Swan Theatre until June 17 and will open at London's Garrick Theatre on September 30. From the Folger's Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published April 25, 2023. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This episode was produced by Matt Frassica. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer, with help from Leonor Fernandez. We had technical help from Melvin Rickarby in Stratford and Voice Trax West in Studio City, California. Final mixing services provided by Clean Cuts at Three Seas, Inc.

British-born composer, opera singer, and teacher Amanda Ira Aldridge is the topic of conversation for Joshua and Angela on this episode. A promising operatic contralto, Aldridge studied and performed the vocal works of compatriot Samuel Coleridge Taylor. A severe case of laryngitis ended her singing career but provided the catalyst for her to mold and teach vocal legends Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson, and Marian Anderson. Adaptable, resourceful, and musically imaginative, Aldridge created a lineage of melanated moxie whose influence spans generations of groundbreaking Black artists from the 20th century to the present day.Featured Music:"Prayer Before Battle," arranged and performed for harp by Elisabeth Remy Johnson"Carnival, Suite of Five Dances: I. Cavalcade," performed by Rochelle Sennet "Three African Dances, Mvt. 2: Luleta's Dance," performed by Bryan ChuanSupport the show

This episode is an encore presentation, with updates:Did You Know? (Чи знали ви?) takes a look at the close friendship between two 19th century artists on opposite sides of the world—Ukraine's national bard, Taras Shevchenko, and Ira Aldridge, a black American stage actor and playright • The first of six episodes of the Pysanka Power Podcast, exploring the ancient art of Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg decorating) with Richmond, BC pysanka artists Joan Brander • Ukrainian Proverb of the Week • Other items of interest • Plenty of Great Ukrainian music.Featured artists: • Тарасова Ніч • Dumka • Andriana Gnap • Sonia • Fata Morgana • Trembita • Loubistock • Interlake Polka Kings • By Request Band • Canadian Rhythm MastersYour host: PawlinaUkrainian Roots Radio airs in Nanaimo on Wednesdays at 11am PST on CHLY 101.7FM, broadcasting to the north and central Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, northwest Washington State and Greater Vancouver listening areas.You can hear the Vancouver edition with Pawlina on Saturdays at 6pm PST on air at AM1320 CHMB and streaming live at the CHMB website.In between broadcasts, please check out our website (here) and follow the Nash Holos Facebook page. If you'd like to support the show by buying us a digital cup of coffee, check out our Patreon page (here). Support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is an encore presentation, with updates: Did You Know? (Чи знали ви?) takes a look at the close friendship between two 19th century artists on opposite sides of the world—Ukraine's national bard, Taras Shevchenko, and Ira Aldridge, a black American stage actor and playright • The first of six episodes of the Pysanka Power Podcast, exploring the ancient art of Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg decorating) with Richmond, BC pysanka artists Joan Brander • Ukrainian Proverb of the Week • Other items of interest • Plenty of Great Ukrainian music.Featured artists: • Тарасова Ніч • Dumka • Andriana Gnap • Olya Fryz • Sonia • Fata Morgana • Trembita • Loubistock • Interlake Polka Kings  Join me - Pawlina - for the Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio—every Saturday at 6pm PST on AM1320 CHMB and streaming here..Tune in to the Nanaimo edition on Wednesdays at 11am air at 101.7FM or streaming online at CHLY Radio Malaspina.For podcast feed, transcipts, and links to reputable Ukrainian charities visit our website here. Support the show on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, y'all! We are finally back to kick off our new season with a trailblazer in politics, theatre, Zionism, and racism, Mordecai Manuel Noah.

Why have most of us never heard of Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) , America's first internationally acclaimed African American actor? UW Theatre professor Baron Kelly links his own journey as a Black actor to that of the remarkable Ira Aldridge. NOTE--Next week Baron Kelly will return to University of the Air for a special broadcast of Richard Hellesen's play Necessary Sacrifices, i nspired by Frederick Douglass' conversations with Abraham Lincoln. The broadcast will begin slightly earlier than usual, at 4 pm sharp.

The award-winning actor, Adrian Lester, speaks to Paul about his Shakespearian roles – Rosalind, Henry V, Hamlet, and Othello – working with the late, great director Peter Brook, his portrayal of the pioneering nineteenth-century actor Ira Aldridge, and about why Shakespeare matters.Support the show

As an African-American actor in the 1800s, Ira Aldridge had the odds stacked against him. Yet despite systemic racism, as well as negative attitudes about Americans in general, Aldridge went on to become the darling of the London stage. In today's episode, the guys explore how Ira Aldridge used his tremendous fame as a way to advocate for equality, abolition and more -- and broke numerous records along the way. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Award-winning playwright and actor Lolita Chakrabarti celebrates the life of Ira Aldridge, an icon of theatre who rose to fame at the height of the movement to abolish slavery and brought Shakespeare to audiences across the world. He made his career on the London stage before touring Europe where, along with rapturous applause, he received top honours from heads of state. He is the only actor of African-American descent among the 33 actors of the English stage to be honoured with a Bronze Plaque at The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon and a Blue Plaque at Coventry's Belgrade Theatre - which he managed in 1828 - also celebrates his contribution to theatre. Lolita Chakrabarti shares her deep passion and knowledge of this fascinating actor alongside historian Stephen Bourne, author of 'Deep Are The Roots -Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre'. Presented by Matthew Parris Produced by Nicola Humphries

Stephen Bourne introduces Spencer Mizen to some of the pioneers of black British theatre, from Ira Aldridge, who in 1825 became the first black actor to play Othello, to the emergence of Britain's black-led theatre companies. (Ad) Stephen Bourne is the author of Deep Are the Roots: Trailblazers Who Changed Black British Theatre (The History Press 2021). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Are-Roots-Trailblazers-Changed/dp/0750996293/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do you enjoy going to the movies or seeing live performances? Join host Shain Brenden and learn about one of the best actors to ever live—someone you've probably never even heard of. Ira Aldridge was a Shakespearean actor born in New York who moved to London in the 1800s to pursue his dreams of acting in plays. Why did he move to London? As a Black actor, Aldridge faced many prejudices in his home country and decided to risk it all to move abroad where he had more opportunities at the time. It's time for an adventure to learn about his incredible story.  About the Host Shain Brenden is a comedian, actor, and writer from Portland, Oregon. He hosted the PBS docu-series, “American Veteran,” and was the co-host of the NBC Sports show, “Blazers Outsiders.”  About Honest History Honest History creates award-winning books, magazines, and this show for young historians across the world. Our mission is to inspire kids to create a positive impact on history themselves. Learn more at honesthistorymag.com and @honesthistory. Credits This episode was written by Heidi Coburn and produced by Randall Lawrence. Original theme music was written and recorded by Luke Messimer.   More Enjoy this episode? Share with your friends and don't forget to rate and review. See you next time!

In this episode, Hettie V. Williams is in conversation with Clifford Mason about Black Shakespearean actors and Denzel Washington as Macbeth. Williams is a Professor of African American history at Monmouth University and Mason is a celebrated playwright, actor, director, critic and author who has written 34 plays. He is also the author of Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raison in the Son (Rutgers University Press, 2020). Joel Coen's The Tragedy of Macbeth is the first film completed without his brother Ethan Coen and the film has opened to positive reviews. Mason discusses the fact that Black actors such as Ira Aldridge and Paul Robeson have mastered Shakespearean roles in America and the world for more than 100 years. Here is more critical of the Coen film and Denzel's role as Macbeth in that he sees the movie as largely failing at bringing the power of Shakespeare's words to life. 

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Merrick is a student of Yale School of Drama faculty Gregory Berger-Sobeck (Berg Studios), an active member of the prestigious Road Theatre Company, and a student of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Rob Clare. This gifted and intense dramatic actor also has strong comedy chops gleaned from touring with The Hinges Improv troupe. Merrick can be spotted in several commercials, print ads and as a guest star on many top tv shows including This Is Us, 9-1-1, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. You may already recognize him from his recurring role on the CW Network hit, All American, as Simone's dad Robert Hicks. He also brings big laughs to the Netflix original feature, Senior Year, a comedy with Rebel Wilson and Josh Hartley. In 2020, Merrick produced and starred in a multi-award-winning indie short titled Ira Aldridge, the story of the first black actor to perform Othello on a London stage. Merrick has been a member of SAG/AFTRA, he is also a Television Academy Executive Committee Member for the Performers Peer Group. Merrick stays involved in helping the acting community. Follow Merrick: IG: @TheRealMerrickMcCartha FB: https://www.facebook.com/merrick.mccartha IMDb: www..imdb.me/MerrickMcCartha More: www.linqapp.com/merrickmccartha Follow me everywhere: @Headshots by Peggy Follow "Headshots by Peggy PRESENTS" podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcast!! www.linqapp.com/Peggy

Why have most of us never heard of Ira Aldridge (1807-1867) , America's first internationally acclaimed African American actor? UW Theatre professor Baron Kelly links his own journey as a Black actor to that of the remarkable Ira Aldridge.

Amanda Ira Aldridge, one of the most important female composers of the 20th century has been all but forgotten.Daughter of the groundbreaking actor Ira Aldridge,  Amanda, was also a singer and in her latter years a voice teacher.  One of her pupils was Paul Robeson who approached her when he cane to  the UK to play Othello.  He was only the second black actor to play the role.  Amanda's father Ira had been the first!Under the name Montague Ring, Amanda was a composer of many songs and her instrumental music was used in the silent movies.Image courtesy of Stephen Bourne.Guest:  Stephen BourneStephen Bourne is a writer, film and social historian specialising in black heritage and gay culture. His best-known book is Black Poppies – Britain's Black Community and the Great War.   Stephen's most recent publication is Deep Are the Roots , which  celebrates the pioneers of black British theatre, beginning in 1825 when Ira Aldridge made history as the first black actor to play Shakespeare's Othello in the United Kingdom, and ending in 1975 with the success of Britain's first black-led theatre company.  Stephen has written extensively on Amanda Ira Aldridge. https://stephenbourne.co.uk/For a list of Stephen's books:https://stephenbourne.co.uk/books/Follow Stephen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackpoppies14Featuring:  Patricia Hammond https://patriciahammond.com/ youtube.com/patriciahammondsongsPatricia's book on female composers features a chapter dedicated to Amanda Ira Aldridgehttps://www.valleypressuk.com/book/126/she_wrote_the_songs Follow Patricia on Twitter:https://twitter.com/hammondpatricia Music: Patricia Hammond, VoiceMatt Redman, zither banjoAndrea Kmecova,  pianoHost:  Lottie WalkerEditor:  Jacob TaylorAnd a note from us:Thank you for listening.   If you'd like to help us in our work in keeping the podcast going and the memories of all these lovely people alive, do please consider becoming a patron.  It's really easy to do, just go to :https://www.patreon.com/bluefiretheatreif you're more comfortable with a one off donation you can do this via our website:https://www.bluefiretheatre.co.uk/or buy us a coffee on:https://ko-fi.com/bluefiretheatreEven the smallest donation helps us get our shows on the road and keep the lights on in the studio and we are so grateful for all your help and support.And finally...don't forget to follow us on social media.  We'd love to hear from you!Find us at:https://twitter.com/famous_heardhttps://www.instagram.com/bluefire_tchttps://www.facebook.com/bluefirepodcast

On 6 October 1941 “The Coventry Telegraph” reported that women of Coventry had sent a message of support to the women of Stalingrad. And so began a relationship that became formalised by twin city status in 1844. Coventry now has 26 twin cities and those connections are celebrated in a new project, Twin Cities: Postcard Poems which paired ten poets from Coventry with poets from across the world. The resulting correspondence led to new poems being written and we hear from two of the poets involved: Emile Lauren Jones – the newly announced Coventry Poet Laureate - and David Morley. Boff Whalley came to public attention as part of the exuberant pop group – Chumbawumba. He joins Front Row to discuss the Belgrade Theatre's new musical, Ruff Tuff Cream Puff Estate Agency. It's a show that he's written the music for, and which is based on a true housing story that happened in London in the 1970s, Members of the cast of The Ruff Tuff Cream Puff Estate Agency perform one of the songs in the musical - B.N.V.A. R The Twin Cities: Postcard poems have also been collected into a new book – To Coventry by Sun. Poet Jane Commane is the editor of the new collection and as well as the organiser of the Twin Cities: Postcard poems project. She talks to Nick about Coventry's multi-twinned status and how correspondence from abroad can help us to see our homes afresh. The distinguished 19th century African-American actor, writer, and theatre manager, Ira Aldridge, makes an appearance in the world premiere of a new play, This Little Relic, set in present-day Coventry. The writer and actor Karla Marie Sweet, has written the play and discusses why she wanted to bring Ira Aldridge back to the future. Presented by Nick Ahad Studio Engineer: John Cole Produced by Ekene Akalawu

SVS Resident Dramaturg Doll Picotto explores the complex history of race in Shakespeare performance, including the lens in which we view his works, and the life of Ira Aldridge, the first Black Shakespearean actor. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/svshakes/support

We're feeling rather meta today as we are looking at a play that is focussed on theatre - specifically the pivotal career moment of Ira Aldridge, the first black actor to play Othello in London. Lexie and Meg have also brought all the fun facts to the podcast to kick start the episode, so there's lots of trivia to be had this ep - most importantly of all being the year Meg passed her driving test. Listen now and all shall be revealed!Co Hosted by Lexie Ward and Meg Robinson.Music By Connor Barton (Sethera Sound Design)Find SCRIPT IN HAND on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook  - Give us a like/follow to keep up to date with episode information and extra content.EPISODE BIOAdrian Lester - Interview before 2016 revivalwww.youtube.com/watch?v=oY7faBfM_w0Chicago Reader What happened to the real Ira Aldridgehttps://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chicago-shakespeare-theater-red-velvet-lolita-chakrabarti-ira-aldridge/Content?oid=36523274Lolita Chakrabarti Interview on Red Velvethttps://naimakhan.com/2014/01/29/red-velvet-lolita-chakrabarti-on-theatres-frequently-forgotten-legacy/Guardian Review 2012 productionhttps://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/oct/17/red-velvet-reviewIra Aldridge Biohttps://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/aldridge-ira-1807-1867/Ohio State News article on Roy Bowen Theatre's performancehttps://news.osu.edu/red-velvet-details-first-black-actor-to-play-othello/Aldridge & Othellohttps://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2017/02/17/ira-aldridge/Evening Standard 2016 revival reviewhttps://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/red-velvet-theatre-review-rich-and-relevant-study-of-black-actor-who-fought-the-system-a3171276.html

Sarah Enloe is the Director of Education at the American Shakespeare Center. We discuss the role an education director plays for a theater, the practical research efforts that infuse performances at the ASC, and how scholarship informs all aspects of the company. For a full transcript of today's episode go to beyondthelightspodcast.com.Mentioned in this Episode[00:01:36] American Shakespeare Center[00:01:58] Shakespeare Theater Association [00:03:56] #SHXCamp[00:04:20] Shakespeare and Leadership [00:09:44] Mary Baldwin University – Master of Letters/Master of Fine Arts[00:13:01] The Knight of the Burning Pestle[00:15:18] Actors’ Renaissance Season[00:18:00] Tiffany Stern [00:18:17] Shakespeare's Globe [00:18:19] Peter McCurdy[00:30:48] Stage of American Fight Directors[00:34:55] UIL One Act Play Festival[00:38:22] Anchuli Felicia King [00:38:37] Shakespeare's New Contemporaries[00:40:08] Ira Aldridge[00:44:49] Blackfriars Conference[00:47:33] Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay[00:47:34] Spanish Tragedy [00:48:03] Bonduca[00:48:09] Gallathea [00:57:41] Give Way To Night[00:57:44] From Unseen Fire[00:59:07] Blue Ridge Tunnel Trail[00:59:33] Basic City Beer[01:01:11] Baja Bean Co.Follow SarahFacebookTwitterInstagramASC Education DepartmentFollow Beyond the LightsWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram

When the GRITS team got together in February, we had a lot to talk about. In fashion, there's been tons of trend for Valentine's Day, and in entertainment we talked about disturbing news related to football player Chris Wheeler. On a brighter note, February was Black History Month! So we went through people throughout history who we want to highlight for their lives and work: everyone from Althea Gibson to Ira Aldridge to Cicely Tyson and a more modern figure - Amanda Gorman. And after we discuss Black history, we talk about our very mixed feelings about Valentine's Day. Produced by Coastal Youth Media and GRITS. Hosted by Amari Poindexter, Brealyn Freeman, Kamahra Nixon-McKoy, Jonaiyah Jordan, and Arabia Earth. Music:Original track by Shelyah Raelynn Tucker of TWOTL Music Group, "Feel - Instrumental Version" by Peter Spacey via Artlist"La La La Love You Like" by Duce Williams via ArtlistSupport the show (https://shoresides.org/support/)

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry's Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Macbeth in Harlem: Black Theater in America from the Beginning to Raisin in the Sun (Rutgers University Press, 2020) by Clifford Mason, celebrated actor, director, writer, and playwright, and author of thirty-four plays, is a sweeping history of Black theatre from the early nineteenth century through 1959. With an “Introduction” section, and six concise chapters, Macbeth in Harlem traverses such subjects as the Black hero, plot, narrative, and the African American intellectual in the history of African American theater including an entire chapter on Paul Robeson. From the Black Shakespearean troupe formed in 1821 Greenwich Village, that performed Richard III, Othello, and Macbeth in the 1820s, through the emergence of minstrelsy in the mid-nineteenth century, to the work of Robeson and Lorraine Hansberry at the rise of the Civil Rights Era, Mason tells the story of Black performers, and intellectuals, in the development of American theater. He details how integral Black artists have been in the history of American theater while “fighting against the odds” to demand freedom of expression and human dignity. In the first chapter, Mason discusses early Black theater and theater troupes in Greenwich Village which was a center of Black life within the Manhattan section of New York City in the early nineteenth century. The African Grove Theatre, as Mason notes, was a group of Black actors including James Hewlett and Ira Aldridge that performed Macbeth as a “the heart of their repertoire” (9). This group was self-sustaining and produced shows without the support of white benefactors. Both Hewlett and Aldridge rose to acclaim and were recognized for their craft by the larger entertainment world. The evolution of minstrelsy in the long nineteenth century is the focus of Chapter Two and the degradation of the Black image as illustrated with the proliferation of stereotypes that emerged at this time. Minstrel shows led to the rise of the Tom shows then the “coon” shows amid the collapse of Reconstruction and the rise of Jim Crow in the late nineteenth century. African Americans and the rise of vaudeville and the musical through the New Negro Era is the focus of the next chapter. Mason assiduously notes the impact that Black actors and entertainers had on the development of musical theater in America in this Third Chapter of the book. The final three chapters focus on Black theater in the twentieth century including some discussion of milestones such as Lorraine Hansberry’s Raison in the Son and the rise and fall of Paul Robeson. Macbeth in Harlem is a noteworthy text that reveals some unknown history about the integral place of African Americans in the history of American theater. It is easily a text that might be used in courses on African American history, theater history, and American intellectual history. Hettie V. Williams Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of African American history in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth University where she teaches courses in African American history and U.S. history. She has published book chapters, essays, and edited/authored five books. Her latest publications include Bury My Heart in a Free Land: Black Women Intellectuals in Modern U.S. History (Praeger, 2017) and, with Dr. G. Reginald Daniel, professor of historical sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Race and the Obama Phenomenon: The Vision of a More Perfect Multiracial Union (University Press of Mississippi 2014). You can follow Dr. Williams on Twitter:  @DrHettie2017   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At 26, playwright Anchuli Felicia King has already seen her work performed on mainstages in London, Melbourne and Sydney, with US productions on the way. Also, Australian musical theatre performers unite for an online concert, and we take a closer look at the operas of the remarkably prolific Italian composer Rossini.

At 26, playwright Anchuli Felicia King has already seen her work performed on mainstages in London, Melbourne and Sydney, with US productions on the way.Also, Australian musical theatre performers unite for an online concert, and we take a closer look at the operas of the remarkably prolific Italian composer Rossini.

At 26, playwright Anchuli Felicia King has already seen her work performed on mainstages in London, Melbourne and Sydney, with US productions on the way. Also, Australian musical theatre performers unite for an online concert, and we take a closer look at the operas of the remarkably prolific Italian composer Rossini.

Today we ask you to lean into discomfort as we tackle the fraught issue of race in Titus Andronicus. We give you some thoughts from prevailing scholars on the subject, as well as a few approaches for this play in your classroom, and we also talk about Ira Aldridge's contribution to the play (and to theatre in general) in the 19th century.

In this episode, K and Warren discuss the amazing life of Ira Aldridge, alumni of the African Grove Theatre and an amazing tragic actor in his own right. Learn about Ira Aldridge's accomplishments on the stage and listen to Warren's recounting of the "One K Production" of Ira Aldridge's adaptation of The Black Doctor. Promo: Black History Buff Podcast Join the Cast Junkie discord and help support indie podcasts at https://discord.gg/napQ3Cb. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebadger @ToneDeafMusical for some dank theatre memes, check out the patreon at https://www.patreon.com/tonedeafmusical and visit our website, tonedeafmusical.com! 

Did You Know? (Чи знали ви?) takes a look at the close friendship between two 19th century artists on opposite sides of the world—Ukraine's national bard, Taras Shevchenko, and Ira Aldridge, a black American stage actor and playright • the first of six episodes of the Pysanka Power Podcast, exploring the ancient art of Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg decorating) • Ukrainian Proverb of the Week • Other items of Interest • Great Ukrainian music!Join me - Pawlina - for the Vancouver edition of Nash Holos Ukrainian Roots Radio—every Saturday at 6pm PST on AM1320 CHMB Vancouver.Reminder: If you’re in the Vancouver listening area you can hear the Nanaimo edition on Wednesdays from 11am-1pm on air at 101.7FM or online at CHLY Radio Malaspina. Hour 1 is hosted by Pawlina, in English. Hour 2 is hosted by Oksana Poberezhnyk, in Ukrainian.As well the International Edition airs in over 20 countries on AM, FM, shortwave and satellite radio via PCJ Radio International.In between broadcasts, please check out our Patreon site and consider supporting us. And do follow us there as well as on Facebook and Twitter. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Thirty-three people are honored with plaques at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, but only one of them, Ira Aldridge, is an African-American. At a time when the United States still held black people in slavery, Aldridge's performances across Europe helped shatter the myth of white supremacy.  Our brilliant guest this week is author and screenwriter Andrea Chalupa, co-host of the must-listen "Gaslit Nation" podcast. Search for "Gaslit Nation" within this app you're using now, or check out "Gaslit Nation" here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I wish is my favorite Stevie Wonder song. I am closing the season with Ira Aldridge, Shakespeare, and systems. In your leadership do you make people fit your system or do you value the individual talents and abilities people are given?

Theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck joins us today with reviews of two plays now running in the region: Red Velvet, by the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and All She Must Possess, a world premiere at Rep Stage, on the Howard Community College campus.Chesapeake Shakespeare's Red Velvet (profiled on Midday's January 31st show) tells the story of Ira Aldridge, a celebrated and controversial African American actor who won international renown for his groundbreaking portrayal of Shakespeare's Othello at a London theater in 1833. The play by Lolita Chakrabati is directed by Shirley Basfield Dunlap, and features Christian R. Gibbs as Ira Aldridge and Yuri Lomakin as a London theater manager.All She Must Possess, directed at the Rep Stage by Joseph Ritsch, is the world premiere of a play by Susan McCully, who portrays the lives of Baltimore's Victorian-era Cone sisters -- Dr. Claribel and Etta Cone. The iconic pair's passion for collecting art and curios from around the world brings them into the rarified company of many of the artistic and literary geniuses of their day, including avant-garde writer Gertrude Stein.Red Velvet at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, and All She Must Possess at Rep Stage in Columbia, both continue through February 25.

Ira's Shakespeare Dream is a book for children about Ira Aldridge, the celebrated African American Shakespearean actor. Written by Glenda Armand, the book is illustrated by the award-winning artist Floyd Cooper.Listen to Glenda Armand and Floyd Cooper at this opening reception for the special exhibit of Cooper's illustrations from Ira's Shakespeare Dream. Floyd Cooper talks about his artistic process.Arts at the Pratt is supported by the William G. Baker Memorial Fund, creator of the Baker Artist Portfolios, www.BakerArtist.org.

In 1833, English audiences were shocked to see an African American man play the role of Shakespeare’s Othello. Ira Aldridge was London’s first African-American Othello and is the subject of the play Red Velvet by Lolita Chakrabarti. Shirley Basfield Dunlap, Director of Red Velvet at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, tells us about Aldridge. Dunlap is an Associate Professor, and the Theatre Coordinator, at Morgan State University.

Ira Aldridge was 17 years old when he left his father’s home to pursue his dream of becoming a professional actor in England. Born in 1807 New York, Aldridge grew up during at a time when chattel slavery was legal, and black actors who performed works associated with Anglo culture, were met with chastisement and violence. Alone in a strange land, Ira would go on to become one of the most celebrated actors in the world. Red Velvet, is the story of an actor and the performance that transformed him into an international star of the theater and seminal figure in the narrative of African American achievement.Shirley Basfield Dunlap is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts and Coordinator of Theater Arts at Morgan State University. She is directing this new production of Red Velvet, and she joins me in Studio A. The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Maryland premiere of “Red Velvet” by Lolita Chakrabarti includes free public events in the community made possible by partnerships with the arts and culture community of Baltimore. For more information, click the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T-dxzeLaONAuOEfWTBFHAwi5K-eTOyDsLpZ82nzbRFM/edit?usp=sharing

Fictionalized history, like ‘free trade’ and ‘forgotten memories,’ is something of an oxymoron. The minute you introduce fiction to a story, its claim to being history loses strength. But unless a playwright has a transcript of the backroom conversations held by historical figures, she has no choice, in telling the story of great historical moments, but to guess at and improvise those conversations. The result is a hybrid of history and fiction, that when done well, illuminates and expose the truth of what happened—or what very likely happened—while employing just enough imagination and guesswork as necessary to allow the story to be told at all. Such was the task lying before British playwright Lolita Chakrabarti as she tackled the story of a significant, but little known, figure in theatrical world history—Ira Aldridge, the first black actor of perform on the legitimate stage in London. That was in 1833, when slavery was still legal in England. Chakrabarti’s award-winning play ‘Red Velvet,’ now brings the story to the Bay Area, where San Francisco Playhouse has put together one of the best shows of the year. Following the death of famed classical actor Edmund Kean, Aldridge—in an openly provocative and controversial move—was called upon to replace him in playing the lead in William Shakespeare’s Othello. In taking on the role, Aldridge would be acting alongside the all white actors of the distinguished company, performing at Keane’s famed Theater Royal. Abolition was three months from becoming law in England, and the city was in a state of conflict and turmoil, with open riots in the streets. This was hardly the best time to challenge centuries of tradition and deep-seated prejudice. What is known are the basic details of what happened, what the critics said about Aldridge’s performance, how the company responded, and what Alrdridge did next. What is not known, and what Chakrabarti makes a highly entertaining and impressive effort at surmising, is what that first multiracial meeting of artists might have been like. How did the company respond? What was the first rehearsal like? Who said what to whom before and after opening night? Did it happen this way? Who knows? But, as deftly and powerfully devised by Chakrabarti, directed by Margo Hall with marvelous command of the script’s complex blend of social comedy and raw drama, Red Velvet transcends the oxymorns of fictionalized history. This is a good play and a strong production, with a towering performance by Carl Lumbly as Aldridge. The superb supporting cast includes Sonoma County actor Tim Kniffin, excellent in a tricky role as the dying Keane’s affronted actor son Charles, whose rising indignation at watching a black actor play Othello—a role he’d expected to assail himself—is simultaneously hilarious and chilling. Also strong are Richard Louis James in dual parts as Aldridge’s long-suffering dresser and a stodgy Shakespearean actor, Susi Damilano as Charles’ tentative but artistically intrigued actress fiancée Ellen Tree, and the effortlessly accent-shifting Elena Wright in a trio of key roles, including that of Aldridge’s white, English-born wife. Chakrabarti’s robust script does somewhat stretch believability in an effort to have fun with Aldridge’s first backstage appearance at Theater Royal. That quibble aside, Red Velvet stands as a thing of graceful beauty, earning its way, line by line, to its heartbreaking climax. Supremely satisfying on numerous levels, this is a must-see historical drama. In eschewing simple conclusions or one-dimensional characterizations, Red Velvet delivers a 180-year-old story that, sadly enough, feels vividly and unnervingly contemporary. ‘Red Velvet’ runs Tuesday–Sunday through June 25 at San Francisco Playhouse, sfplayhouse.org

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!  1. Gloria Brown joins us to speak about the 15th Annual Soul Stroll for Health, May 21 at Coyote Regional Park in San Mateo http://pgdglobal.com/soul/ 2. Ben Vereen (archived June 2012) 3. Carl Lumbly speaks about his role as Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet at San Francisco Playhouse (through June 25). In 19th century Europe, at a time when his kinsmen were still in chains in America, Aldridge built an incredible career on the stages of London and Europe. 4. Lynn Morrow, Music Director of the Oakland Symphony Chorus and Nicole Greenidge Joseph, Soprano soloist, join us to talk about the Oakland East Bay Symphony concert of music by John Adams, Stravinsky, Barber and Ravel tonight, Friday, May 20, at 8 pm at the Paramount Theatre. Ms. Joseph, who was the winner of the 2015 Toland Vocal Arts Competition, will sing Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. (Originally Broadcast 5/6).  

Architect Dame Zaha Hadid will receive the 2016 Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects this week. She's the first woman to be awarded the prestigious honour in her own right. She talks to John Wilson about her work.John Irving, author of hugely popular novels including The World According to Garp and A Prayer for Owen Meany, discusses his latest book Avenue of Mysteries, an examination of miracles, damaged childhoods, the writer's life and the perils of the circus.Adrian Lester stars as Victorian actor Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet, the latest production from the Kenneth Branagh Company. In 1833 Aldridge became the first black actor to play Othello on the London stage when he was invited to take over from Edmund Kean. Playwright Gabriel Gbadamosi reviews.Pieter Bruegel the Elder is known for his highly-coloured, earthy and vivid depiction of rowdy peasants in 16th-century Netherlands. But he also painted religious works. For the first time his only three surviving grisaille paintings will be shown together at the Courtauld Gallery in London. Curator Karen Serres explains their significance.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Angie Nehring.

Zach is the founder of the De Miche (Meech) group, a digital content marketing agency and the lead content developer for Fortune 50 companies , government entities and  academic organizations like , Proctor & Gamble, Macy's, Rutgers University, and the Seventeen Magazine. Current Principal at Advanced Digital Marketing, a consulting practice providing business development strategy through digital solutions.  He's is a an advocate for the arts and education, and was the former chair of "imagine Doing" , an organization that teaches critical thinking skills through the arts. Zach Graduated Howard University's school of business Magna Cum Laude with a degree in finance and economics. Zachary was raised in the theater through the mentorship of producer/director Ricardo Khan, Founder of the Tony Award Winning Crossroads Theatre Company. -----   This show is dedicated to the godfather of black stage actors: Ira Aldridge, the self-proclaimed “African Roscius” of the 19th century. The African Grove Theater was A Shakespearean Playhouse Founded in 1816 by Activist William Brown. It was mysteriously burned to the ground. In 1816 William Brown a retired African American ship steward bought a house in Manhattan on Thompson Street. He used his garden in his backyard to host social events. They were such a big hit that people traveled from all over NY to attend. An all-black theatre troupe and company grew out these tea garden performances. Riding the success of the theater, Brown later built a fully-fledged performance space on the second floor of his home – for an audience of more than 300 – at 165 Mercer St., just south of Houston St.

This short film offers reflections on the impact of performances of 'Othello' by Ira Aldridge, Paul Robeson and Willard White. Professors Carol Chillington Rutter and Tony Howard offer commentary, alongside Adrian Lester who discusses playing Ira Aldridge in 'Red Velvet'.

Adrian Lester talks to Al Senter about playing the role of Othello in Nicholas Hytner's 2013 production, and how playing Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet influenced his performance. He also talks about acting and directing the BBC series of Hustle, performing for Stephen Sondheim and his future plans.

Adrian Lester talks to Al Senter about playing the role of Othello in Nicholas Hytner's 2013 production, and how playing Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet influenced his performance. He also talks about acting and directing the BBC series of Hustle, performing for Stephen Sondheim and his future plans.

Adrian Lester talks to Al Senter about playing the role of Othello in Nicholas Hytner's 2013 production, and how playing Ira Aldridge in Red Velvet influenced his performance. He also talks about acting and directing the BBC series of Hustle, performing for Stephen Sondheim and his future plans.

Mark Lawson unwraps interviews with arts headline makers of 2012, in the second of two programmes. Writer E L James reflects on a year in which she became a global publishing phenomenon, with her best-selling trilogy which began with Fifty Shades of Grey. Mark looks back at the Olympic Opening Ceremony, with director Danny Boyle and designer Thomas Heatherwick, who created the highly original cauldron for the Olympic flame. Singer Emeli Sandé remembers how nervous she felt moments before performing at the Opening Ceremony, and discusses a year in which she has become one of the UK's most high-profile musicians. Broadcaster and writer Clare Balding considers her role as a presenter at the Olympic and Paralympic games, and reveals how she allowed her mother three chances to veto content in her best-selling memoir, published this year. Writer Lolita Chakrabarti and actor Adrian Lester talk about their collaboration on the acclaimed play Red Velvet, based on the life of Ira Aldridge, an African-American actor whose arrival on the 19th century London stage provoked debate and dissent. Producer Ella-mai Robey.