1 - The Lives of Ira Aldridge

Summary

Ira Aldridge had an unusual life and a remarkable career. Born in lower Manhattan on July 24, 1807, he grew up in humble circumstances but was fortunate enough to receive several years of formal education at an African Free School established by the Manumission Society. His father, Daniel— a straw vendor and lay preacher—had wanted him to enter the religious profession, but Ira, after having taken part in a few plays put on by a troupe of black performers, aspired to become a professional actor. Finding no adequate outlet for his ambition in New York, he left for England where he succeeded in making his debut as Othello in a small London theater in May 1825 when he was only seventeen years old.

Early reviews of performances by this “Tragedian of Colour”1 were mixed. Some critics found his acting creditable; others reacted with undisguised hostility to the very notion of a black man playing a black role on the British stage. A caustic reviewer for the Times, for instance, asserted that the shape of Aldridge's lips made it utterly impossible for him to pronounce English properly. Such racist responses from critics did not, of course, prevent audiences from enjoying what they heard and saw. Indeed, it is quite clear, even from the negative reviews, that Aldridge usually had the audience on his side. He often won enthusiastic applause for his efforts.

But the critics may have carried more weight with metropolitan theater managers, for after his initial London run, Aldridge was shunned by major theaters for the next eight years. He spent the intervening period honing his skills by performing in small venues while touring the English provinces, where he was acclaimed both as a tragedian and as a comedian. He developed a repertoire consisting of Othello; abolitionist melodramas about noble, suffering, or defiant slaves; and musical farces that drew upon his ability to sing and dance. By the end of this period of apprenticeship he could perform as many as sixteen different roles in a week-and-a-half— a range broader than that of some of his more famous contemporaries.