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May 20, 2024 · Ira Frederick Aldridge, born on July 24, 1807, in New York City, was an African American actor who gained international acclaim in the 19th century, becoming one of the most celebrated Shakespearean actors of his time.
Mar 13, 2014 · Aldridge is an anomaly in theater history: a black actor — and an American — who achieved mainstream success in grand Shakespearean roles at a time when no black actor had ever been seen on the...
The 19th-Century African-American Actor Who Conquered Europe - Atlas Obscura. And why you might never have heard of Ira Aldridge. by Natasha Frost August 7, 2017. An undated photograph of...
- Young, Gifted, and Black
- The African Tragedian
- "The Greatest of All Actors"
The son of a minister and his wife, Aldridge attended New York’s African Free School, which had been established by the New York Manumission Society to educate the city's black community. His first taste of the theater was probably at Manhattan’s now-defunct Park Theatre, and before long he was hooked. While still a student, Aldridge made his stage...
By this time, the British Empire had already abolished its slave trade, and an emancipation movement was growing. Aldridge realized that Britain was a much more welcoming prospect for a young, determined black actor like himself—but what he didn’t know was that his transatlantic crossing would prove just as important as his decision to emigrate. To...
Instead of accepting defeat, Aldridge took both Othello and The Padlockon a tour of Britain’s provincial theaters. The move proved to be an immense success. During his national tour, Aldridge amassed a great many new fans, and even becamemanager of the Coventry Theatre in 1828, making him the first black manager of a British theater. He also earned...
The actor who overcame prejudice to win over audiences. By Zoë Wilcox, Curator at the British Library. The African American actor Ira Aldridge was born in New York City and came to Britain as a...
Feb 11, 2007 · Ira Frederick Aldridge was the first African American actor to achieve success on the international stage. He also pushed social boundaries by playing opposite white actresses in England and becoming known as the preeminent Shakespearean actor and tragedian of the 19th Century.
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Jun 26, 2022 · Ira Aldridge was the first classical Black actor—and the first American actor—to achieve international fame. A leading interpreter of Shakespeare, he played Othello, Shylock, Macbeth, and King Lear.
