Book contents
- Staging Haiti in Nineteenth-Century America
- Cambridge Studies in Modern Theatre
- Staging Haiti in Nineteenth-Century America
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Rebels and Refugees
- 2 The Lessons of Haiti
- 3 Virtuosity, Illegitimacy, and Haitian Royalty
- 4 Travesty and Transformation
- 5 Abolitionist Acts
- 6 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
3 - Virtuosity, Illegitimacy, and Haitian Royalty
Ira Aldridge and Christophe, King of Hayti
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 November 2022
Book contents
- Staging Haiti in Nineteenth-Century America
- Cambridge Studies in Modern Theatre
- Staging Haiti in Nineteenth-Century America
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Rebels and Refugees
- 2 The Lessons of Haiti
- 3 Virtuosity, Illegitimacy, and Haitian Royalty
- 4 Travesty and Transformation
- 5 Abolitionist Acts
- 6 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter turns to the black New York actor Ira Aldridge, who began building his transatlantic fame in 1825 with London performances in the popular play The Death of Christophe, King of Hayti. These performances helped construct complicated but popular notions of Haitian sovereignty and black celebrity. London’s illegitimate theatre remade figures of black power in its own image, undercutting Haiti’s legitimacy while using popular conceptions of Haiti to launch the first African American tragedian to international fame.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Staging Haiti in Nineteenth-Century AmericaRevolution, Race and Popular Performance, pp. 91 - 119Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2022