Paul Robeson for You Tube video

James Earl Jones starred in the play "Paul Robeson" at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City from January to April 1978. It was then picked up by Joe Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival and played at Broadway's Booth Theatre alongside another play. The show received excellent reviews despite controversy. Paul Robeson, the subject of the play, was a talented actor, singer, and lecturer who faced criticism for his political advocacy. The play's development and production can be found in a detailed blog by the stage manager. James Earl Jones starred in the play Paul Robeson that opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre at 205 West 46th Street, New York City from January 19, 1978 until April 30 and ran for 77 performances. Once it closed it was immediately picked up by Joe Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival and played at Broadway's Booth Theatre at 222 West 45th Street in tandem with the play for colored girls who consider suicide. Robeson was written by playwright Philip Haysdean over a period of months working with James Earl Jones and Lloyd Richards. He wrote a number of well-received plays including The Stye of the Blind Pig, Freeman and Every Night When the Sun Goes Down. The show was produced by Don Gregory who produced many other one-man shows including Clarence Darrow with Henry Fonda, The Bell of Amherst starring Julie Harris as Emily Dickinson, Richard Burton as King Arthur in Camelot, Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady. In 1983 he co-produced Othello with James Earl Jones in the title role and Christopher Plummer as Iago. James Earl Jones performed spectacularly accompanied by pianist Burt Wallace and despite the play's controversy, received excellent reviews. I was the stage manager for 77 Broadway shows before it closed and then I moved with it to the Booth Theatre where I also co-staged managed for colored girls who considered suicide. As for the subject of the play Paul Robeson, he attended Rutgers College in New Brunswick, New Jersey on an academic scholarship becoming the university's third black student and its first black football player and was named All-American twice. He was a man of many talents, actor, singer and lecturer. He performed on Broadway and starred in movies. His rich basso made his signature song Old Man River a classic. He starred in the plays The Emperor Jones, Othello, Showboat and others in the US, Europe and Africa. In 1925 he made a recording that sold 55,000 copies in four months. He was also one of this century's most controversial figures because of his outspoken criticism of American racism and his admiration for Soviet communism who he found supported the working man. Although his political advocacy precipitated an intense governmental and public campaign against him, Robeson never deserted his convictions. The first director was Charles Nelson Riley a comedian who was famous for his wit and TV appearances. Mr. Riley had to leave due to previous commitments and was replaced by Lloyd Richards. The intellectual, Richards was well regarded as theatre director, actor and dean of the Yale School of Drama and the artistic director of the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center. There isn't much written about the play and information is hard to find. For a detailed and intimate depiction of how is was developed and produced read my blog at lewismoscalo.substack.com