Othello

Paul Robeson, Jose Ferrer and Uta Hagen reprised their Broadway performances in Shakespeare’s Othello here in September 1944. This production marked a breakthrough for African-American actors in U.S. theatre. Paul Robeson was already famous for playing the role in London UK in 1935. The role had always been played by a white actor in blackface, except for one time when another African-American actor, Ira Aldridge, who left the U.S. for England because racism kept him from performing in serious plays, famously played it London in 1825. Mr. Aldridge's performance was so astounding, he toured Europe performing in many different plays to great acclaim. He died in Poland, never returning to the U.S. Mr. Robeson’s performance in 1935 was equally acclaimed. Returning to the U.S. he reprised his role of Othello at the Shubert Theatre in 1943, becoming the first African-American to play the role with a white supporting cast on Broadway. That production toured across the continent and was the one that came to the Royal Alex. Although, he would play Toronto other times, mostly in concert, because he was also a remarkable singer, this was the only time he appeared in a play here.