Sale 214 Lot 222

Charles Sidney Gilpin's Brutus Jones in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones, Minneapolis, 1922 Playbill fragment documents an important moment in American theatrical history: the 1922 production of Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones at the Metropolitan Theatre in Minneapolis. The central figure is Charles Sidney Gilpin, the first African American actor to be cast in a lead role in a major white American production, a performance that earned him critical acclaim and a special citation from the Drama League of New York. In the illustration, Gilpin is depicted in the titular role of Brutus Jones, wearing the ornate, militaristic "Emperor" costume . Framed. Not examined out of frame. DIMENSIONS: Sight (as matted): 9 x 6 inches; Frame: 11.5 x 8.5 inches
$120-160