Publication details
„Syn afrického slunce“ i „nenápadný černoch“. Ira Aldridge a jeho hostování v českých zemích.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Divadelní Revue |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | Ira Aldridge; 19th century; otherness |
| Description | "Son of the African sun" and "inconspicuous black man". Ira Aldridge and his Guest Performances in the Czech lands. The study discusses the guest performances of the African-American actor Ira Aldridge (1807–1867) in the Czech lands in 1853 and 1858 and their critical reception. The author first presents Aldridge's biography, namely the establishment of his position as a continental star and the circumstances that resulted in the general acceptance of Aldridge as an African native. The core of the article is an analysis of Aldridge's performances in the Czech lands (Olomouc, Brno, Prague, Opava, Karlovy Vary, etc.), their dramaturgy, and especially his performance of Othello, a key role for Aldridge as a dark-skinned actor. It is the character of Othello and the critical reaction of Czech and German reviewers not only to his visual representation that provide the insight into the early perception of racial otherness in the Austrian monarchy. In the end, the study focuses on Aldridge's influence on Czech and German theatre in the mid-19th century. |