Paul Robeson "OTHELLO" Peggy Ashcroft / Sybil Thorndike 1930 London Program

Description

This is a rare June 1930 programme (playbill) from the West End revival of the WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE classic "OTHELLO" at the Savoy Theatre in London. (The production opened March 19th, 1930 and ran for 295 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 and PEGGY ASHCROFT as "Desdemona". The remaining cast included LAWRANCE D'ORSAY, CONWAY DIXON, JOHN GARSIDE, PHILIP DESBOROUGH, MAX MONTESOLE, HILARY FISHER-WHITE, RALPH RICHARDSON, VERNON FORTESCUE, HORACE SEQUEIRA, SYBIL THORNDIKE, NAOMI LUDOLF and JOHN THOMPSON
..... CREDITS: Book by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE; Music composed by ANTHONY BERNARD; Sets designed by JAMES PRYDE; Costumes designed by GEORGE SHERINGHAM; Directed by ELLEN VAN VOLKENBURG; Produced by MAURICE BROWNE ..... DETAILS: The 28 page playbill measures 5 1/2" X 8 1/2" inches and includes production credits, cast list, synopsis of scenes, promotional text, individual photos and bios of each of the leading actors and wonderful vintage advertising ..... CONDITION: (Please Note!) There is minor soiling to the cover, bumped corners, a missing seal and moderate edge wear. 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.
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