*The Ethiopian Art Theatre presented its first play on this date in 1923. They were a Black theatre company based in Chicago, Illinois.
The company was a short-lived (1922/1923–1925) group founded during the Harlem Renaissance. There are differing views over the precise year that the company was founded, 1922 or 1923. The founder and principal sponsor was Raymond O'Neil, and Mrs. Sherwood Anderson, both white; all its performers were Black. The organization was unique and controversial during its era, primarily for being one of the few African American Theatre Companies to perform European theatrical works and produce plays by African American playwrights for both African American and non-African American audiences.
According to The Crisis magazine in 1923, the Ethiopian Art Theater aimed to create "dramatic pieces" that had "universal appeal" for both African Americans and other races, including Caucasians and Asians. Secondly, the organization sought to encourage African Americans and Whites in the construction of dramatic literature and theater. Lastly, the Ethiopian Art Theater sought to extend this experience to other organizations and cities with large African American communities, in the hopes of establishing similar theaters.
The Chip Woman's Fortune is a 1923 one-act play written by American playwright Willis Richardson. Produced by The Ethiopian Art Theatre, it was the first serious drama by an African American playwright to be presented on Broadway. They were one of the first Black dramatic theater companies to make their way to the Broadway stage. Some even say it paved the way for other great African Americans to showcase their talents. In addition, the theater found a way to create a middle ground between white and Black cultural drama. For approximately three years after its opening, Fredi Washington became the first Black actress to play a mulatto in the play The Great White Way. White actors typically played such roles, but Washington fought to play this one.
In addition, O'Neil revised Salome for one week in May 1923 to include African American features and created a jazzy version of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. He also recreated the Medieval drama "Everyman" to include a cabaret scene. Supporters of the theater group saw the organization as promoting cultural and economic development in the community. In its brief existence, the Ethiopian Art Theatre managed to stir up considerable controversy to a level that, in some instances, challenged its otherwise well-established credibility.
The most significant controversy came from external conflicts." When the show opened in New York in May 1923, it faced enforced segregated seating at Broadway's Frazee Theatre. The African American Press and many in the audience were given seats in the balcony and refused to occupy them." Eventually, the management withdrew segregated seating, and the performance continued for two weeks before returning to Harlem." The theater faced financial struggles due to a lack of donors. The company gave rise to several noteworthy careers, including those of Evelyn Preer, Sidney Kirkpatrick, Marion Taylor, Laura Bowman, Solomon Bruce, and Arthur Ray. Many of these performers went on to join other notable theatre companies, such as the Lafayette Players.
