Contribution of william henry brown american drama
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William Alexander Brown (also known as William Henry Brown) was an African-American playwright and theatrical producer. He is considered the first known Black playwright in America.[1]
Brown was born in the West Indies. He after he retired from working at sea, he had been a ship's steward, he settled in a community of free Blacks in the lower Manhattan district of New York City.
In 1816 he opened a summer tea garden in New York called the African Grove Theatre, the first resident all-Black theatre company in America,[2] to cater to the community of free Blacks.[1] The African Grove featured music, theatrical and occasionally outdoor entertainment until officials closed it down in the 1821.
Brown reformed his group of performers in the African Theatre (also known as the African Company) and continued to perform outdoors.[1] Brown's theatre company was constantly harassed by "White hoodlums". Eventually, the nearby Park Theatre, fearing competition, and the city sheriff forced the African Theatre to close. Brown continued performing outdoors illegally. The last record performance of the African Theatre was on Mercer and Houston Street in January 1824.[3]It was not until after the American Civil Warthat all-Black theatre companies began to emerge again.[2]
The African Theatre presented a programme of classical plays, popular plays, ballet, music and opera.[4] The theater produced Shakespearean works, as well as plays written by Brown.[5]
Brown also wrote a number of original plays for them to perform. His most notable play The Drama of King Shotaway (1823), based on the life of Black Carib leader Joseph Chatoyer's (whom Brown called Shotaway in the play) fight against the British, is considered the first play written by a person of African descent in America. It is thought that Brown may have had first had experience of the Carib Wars when he worked as a ship's steward at the time of the transatlantic slave trade.[6]
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Brown was born in the West Indies. He after he retired from working at sea, he had been a ship's steward, he settled in a community of free Blacks in the lower Manhattan district of New York City.
In 1816 he opened a summer tea garden in New York called the African Grove Theatre, the first resident all-Black theatre company in America,[2] to cater to the community of free Blacks.[1] The African Grove featured music, theatrical and occasionally outdoor entertainment until officials closed it down in the 1821.
Brown reformed his group of performers in the African Theatre (also known as the African Company) and continued to perform outdoors.[1] Brown's theatre company was constantly harassed by "White hoodlums". Eventually, the nearby Park Theatre, fearing competition, and the city sheriff forced the African Theatre to close. Brown continued performing outdoors illegally. The last record performance of the African Theatre was on Mercer and Houston Street in January 1824.[3]It was not until after the American Civil Warthat all-Black theatre companies began to emerge again.[2]
The African Theatre presented a programme of classical plays, popular plays, ballet, music and opera.[4] The theater produced Shakespearean works, as well as plays written by Brown.[5]
Brown also wrote a number of original plays for them to perform. His most notable play The Drama of King Shotaway (1823), based on the life of Black Carib leader Joseph Chatoyer's (whom Brown called Shotaway in the play) fight against the British, is considered the first play written by a person of African descent in America. It is thought that Brown may have had first had experience of the Carib Wars when he worked as a ship's steward at the time of the transatlantic slave trade.[6]
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William Alexander Brown (also known as William Henry Brown) was an African-American playwright and theatrical producer. He is considered the first known Black playwright in America. ... The African Grove featured music, theatrical and occasionally outdoor entertainment until officials closed it down in the 1821.
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