1. Williams Henry Brown (1815-1884) Founded the 1 st African American theater company -The African Grove Theater in NYC (opened in 1816 & closed in 1827) Founded the 1 st African American theater company -The African Grove Theater in NYC (opened in 1816 & closed in 1827) Wrote & staged the 1 st African American play, The Drama of King Shotaway (1823) Wrote & staged the 1 st African American play, The Drama of King Shotaway (1823)

2.  Ira Aldridge (1807-1867)  Stage Actor that performed with The African Grove Theatre  Migrated to England at 24 years old to seek better opportunities & became a renowned Shakespearean actor  Used his fame to advocate the end of slavery and often incorporated songs of freedom into his performances

3.   During the time period African Americans were poorly depicted on mainstream stages  In 1857 Williams Brown juxtaposed a “stereotypical black male” character with an exemplary black male character in his play The Escape; or a Leap for Freedom.  This play highlighted the difference between an image created by black people for black audiences and an image created by white people for white audiences. It was an important statement that had a positive impact. William Wells Brown (1814-1884)

4.  Langston Hughes ( 1902-1967) Graduated with a Bachelors from Lincoln University in 1929 Founded the New York Suitcase Theatre in 1931 Brought his troupe to LA to pursuit film acting and screenwriting Founded the Skyloft Players in Chicago – sought to nurture black playwrights and offer theatre from a black perspective Wrote several novels, short stories, operas, plays, and poetry

5.  Minstrel Shows – performance tradition during the 19 th century that made light of slave life and plantation culture in the South. White entertainers would dress in blackface and do comedic impressions and parodies of the stories, songs, and dances of the black culture.

6.   Wrote the first nonmusical play produced on Broadway by an African American titled The Chip Woman’s Fortune in 1923.  Awarded the prestigious AUDELCO prize for his contribution for American theatre in. Willis Richardson (1889-1977)

7.   African American Broadway actor and director.  Richards directed A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway (1959)  In 1966 became the head of the actor training program at New York University  In 1979 became the Dean of Yale University’s School of Drama and the Artistic Director of the Yale Repertory theater  Directed the successful installments of August Wilson which represented African American life at the time. Lloyd Richards (1919-2006)

8.   African American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. Each is set in a different decade, depicting the comic and tragic aspects of the African- American experience in the 20th century. August Wilson (1945-2005)

9.   One of the 1 st African American writers to take an active part in the civil rights movement  First African American woman to write a play performed on Broadway: A Raisin in the Sun (1959)  Highlights the struggles faced by Black Americans living under racial segregation.  Hansberry was the first African American awarded the New York Drama Critics Circle Award in 1959. Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965)

10.  A Raisin in the Sun – Dallas Theater Center 2014