In 1936 Orson Welles staged an all black production of Macbeth in Harlem, a groundbreaking endeavour for the time. The play, which became known as "Voodoo Macbeth" was so popular that the crowds on opening night stretched for more than five blocks. Welles called it his life's greatest achievement.

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image showing In 1936 Orson Welles staged an all black production of Macbeth in Harlem, a groundbreaking endeavour for the time. The play, which became known as "Voodoo Macbeth" was so popular that the crowds on opening night stretched for more than five blocks. Welles called it his life's greatest achievement.

mrshatnertoyou on May 31st, 2021 at 01:06 UTC »

Before the production opened, the Harlem Communists tried to agitate the community against the project, wrongly believing that Welles had cast black actors in order to create a comic or burlesque version of Shakespeare. The theatre was picketed throughout rehearsals. One man attempted to slash Welles's face with a razor, but Canada Lee, a former boxer, stopped him.

According to Welles, the anger was suddenly replaced "for no reason at all" by widespread excitement and pride in the community as the opening night approached. The "Voodoo Macbeth" defied all expectations, becoming a box office sensation. Seventh Avenue had to be closed for 10 blocks on either side of the theatre on opening night.

Welles was 20 years old while all of this was happening.

usumoio on May 31st, 2021 at 01:42 UTC »

Orson Welles had some truly amazing stories to tell about his life:

The story he tells here about Churchill is one of the funniest stories I have ever heard.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G_PUUHLknDI

janrod6477 on May 31st, 2021 at 01:56 UTC »

A little background about the WPA’s Federal Theater Project, which funded this production: The Works Project Administration provided economic stimulus during the Great Depression, and under its aegis was Federal Project Number One, responsible for generating jobs in the arts for which the Federal Theater Project was created. The Negro Theatre Unit was split into two halves, the "Contemporary Branch" to create theater on contemporary black issues, and the "Classic Branch", to perform classic drama.[1]:88 The aim was to provide a point of entry into the theater workforce for black writers, actors and stagehands, and to raise community pride by performing classic plays without reference to the color of the actors.[1]:88–89.