A study of the famed actor's barrier-breaking Shakespearean performances
Lindsey R. Swindall examines the historical and political context of
acclaimed African American actor Paul Robeson's three portrayals of
Shakespeare's Othello in the United Kingdom and the United States. These
performances took place in London in 1930, on Broadway in 1943, and in
Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. All three of the productions, when
considered together, provide an intriguing glimpse into Robeson's
artistry as well as his political activism. The Politics of Paul
Robeson's Othello maintains that Robeson's development into a
politically minded artist explicates the broader issue of the role of
the African American artist in times of crisis. Robeson (1898-1976)
fervently believed that political engagement was an inherent component
of the role of the artist in society, and his performances demonstrate
this conviction. In the 1930 production, audiences and critics alike
confronted the question: Should a black actor play Othello in an
otherwise all-white cast? In the 1943 production on Broadway, Robeson
consciously used the role as a form for questioning theater segregation
both onstage and in the seats. In 1959, after he had become well known
for his leftist views and sympathies with Communism, his performance in
a major Stratford-upon-Avon production called into question whether
audiences could accept onstage an African American who held radical--and
increasingly unpopular--political views. Swindall thoughtfully uses
Robeson's Othello performances as a collective lens to analyze the actor
and activist's political and intellectual development. Lindsey R.
Swindall, Indianapolis, Indiana, is assistant professor of history at
Franklin College.
