How Did Ira Aldridge Contribute To Theatre

Ira Aldridge was b American and British stage actor and playwright. He was born n late July on the 24 in 1807. Born and raised in The New-York City. As a young boy he attend the school African free school. His father was Reverend Daniel Adlridge a preacher. His mother was Lurranah. Ira spent much of his childhood at neighborhood theaters where he watched black people perform many roles varying from skits to Shakespearean roles, such as Richard III.

Ira Aldridge began his acting career in his early teen years. The theatre that he started acting was called African Groove Theatre. African Grove Theatre the first resident African American theatre in the United States. In America at this time period many people were hostile about black actors. So he decides to take his actor career abroad. So he decides to live in London. He was still in his teenagers years, but was ready to face the world. Ira Aldridge could never forget his first acting debut as Rolla. Rolla was a Peruvian character in Richard Brinkley Sheridan Pizarro.

At the aged 26 he returned to London from the United Kingdom. He left London because of the racism of his roles that he couldn’t receive because of his color. He was the first African American man to play Othello in London. Aldridge after getting that role of the Othello played in many of Shakespeare many works. He received for his art. His awards are The Prussian Gold Medal for Art and Science from King Fredrick William III, The Gold Cross of Leopold from the Czar of Russia, and The Maltese Cross from Bern Switzerland. But his greatest achievement was getting over the race barrier.

Ira Aldridge is s great man to look up to for African American actors. He help me believe think that you can put your mind to any you want to do. I learnt that that he was the only African American to have a bronze plaque among the 33 actors honored at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre at Strafford upon