African Theatre (acting troupe)

The theatre had promenades for patrons to explore, as well as separate stalls furnished with tables and chairs where guests could recline for refreshments.

William Henry Brown used the impromptu performances from patrons at the Grove as a casual form of auditions for possible recruits to the stage for his fledgling theatre company.

[2] The African Theatre formally opened on September 17, 1821, with a performance of Shakespeare's renowned play Richard III, starring an all-black cast.

The neighbors reportedly complained again, which led to Brown to decide to move his theatre to a unoccupied suburban house on the corner of Mercer and Bleecker Streets.

About a week later, his troupe offered an evening's entertainment consisting of a reenactment of Richard III as well as an opera, a pantomime, and a ballet.

Performances continued at this site on Monday evenings throughout October and November, with Friday being added eventually thanks to popular demand.

During early performances, a group of people, including a man named George Bellmont, invaded the playhouse, assaulting the actors and destroying costumes and pieces of the sets.

[3] The company, established in the 1820s by William Henry Brown, was created in response to the demand for entertainment centers open to Black communities.

Brown was a businessman looking for ways to generate profit, but he also aimed to create a community in the arts for Black people to socialize, perform, and foster self-determination.

[1] The company is also known for the introduction of Ira Aldridge, considered to be one of the first impactful Black American Shakespearean actors, who was born in 1807 in New York City.

His theatrical career was notably interesting and extremely prominent, but prior to taking a larger stage, he worked as a costume carrier for British actors and performed in smaller drama productions of ragtag companies.

This proved a struggle to Aldridge both as a performer and financially, as there were few roles that African Americans would be given the allowance to take on at this time in history.