Paul Robeson "OTHELLO" Jose Ferrer / Uta Hagen 1945 Chicago, Illinois Playbill

Description

This is a rare April 15th, 1945 "Stagebill" playbill from the Theatre Guild revival of the WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE classic "OTHELLO" at the Erlanger Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. (The production opened October 19th, 1943 at the Sam S. Shubert Theatre in New York City and ran for 296 performances before going on the road. Following the ambitious tour, the production returned to New York's City Center Theatre on May 22nd, 1945 for an additional 24 performances.) ..... "A tragedy of racial conflict" was how PAUL ROBESON (1898 – 1976) summed up "Othello" as he rehearsed the play in London. He was the first black actor to attempt "Othello" in more than a century when he stepped onto the stage of the Savoy Theatre on March 19th, 1930. The only black actor previously to have attempted it was Ira Aldridge in 1825. The son of a runaway slave, Robeson was, by 1930, an international star: a lawyer, athlete, academic, singer, actor and campaigner. In 1928 he had captured London's heart with his performance of "Ol' Man River" in the barnstorming, barrier-breaking Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical "Show Boat". He jumped at the chance to tackle "Othello". He became the first African-American to play the role with a white supporting cast on Broadway when Robeson reprised his role of "Othello" at the
Shubert Theatre
in 1943 under the direction of
Margaret Webster
. He toured North America with the show until 1945 and received a Donaldson Award and was honored with the
Spingarn medal
by the
NAACP
for his distinguished achievements in the performing arts and his humanitarian endeavors. (Wikipedia) .....
The play starred PAUL ROBESON in the title role, JOSE FERRER and UTA HAGEN and the cast included  EDITH KING, RALPH CLANTON, DON KEEFER, FRANCIS COMPTON, LOUIS LYTTON, RONALD BISHOP, ROBINSON STONE, TED YARYAN, FRANCIS LETTON, STOCKMAN BARNER, ANGUS CAIRNS, JAY BRASSFIELD, WILLIAM BROWDER and NAN McFARLAND ..... CREDITS: Book by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE; Music composed by TOM BENNETT; Sets designed by ROBERT EDMOND JONES; Directed by MARGARET WEBSTER; Produced by THE THEATRE GUILD ..... DETAILS: The sixteen page playbill measures 6" X 9" inches and includes full production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes and bios of each of the leading actors ..... CONDITION: (Please Note!) There are surface abrasions to the back cover along the seam and a light corner crease to the first two pages. Despite these flaws, this rare playbill will make a wonderful addition to the collection of any theatre aficionado or historian. This item will be carefully packaged in a protective, carded sleeve and backed by stiff cardboard.