Ira’s Shakespeare Dream
Glenda Armand
This biography follows Ira Aldridge’s determination to perform Shakespeare in the early nineteenth century, when racism made that ambition difficult for a young African American man. Although his father encouraged him to become a minister, Ira left on a cargo ship and narrowly escaped being sold into slavery. In England, he worked in theaters, ran errands, served as an understudy, and studied acting. By the 1840s, he had become a celebrated Shakespearean actor in Europe. He also spoke against U.S. slavery and urged audiences to support abolitionists.
This book appears on 2 reading lists across 1 edition from 2 organizations.
