Rose McClendon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rose McClendon
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Rose McClendon as Serena in Porgy (1927)
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| Born |
Rosalie Virginia Scott
August 27, 1884 |
| Died | July 12, 1936 (aged 51) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Mount Hope Cemetery (Hastings-on-Hudson) |
| Spouse(s) |
Henry Pruden McClendon
(m. 1904) |
Rose McClendon (born August 27, 1884 – died July 12, 1936) was a very important African-American actress on Broadway in the 1920s. She helped start the Negro People's Theatre. She also helped create special theatre groups for African Americans across the country as part of the Federal Theatre Project. For a short time, she even helped lead the New York Negro Theater Unit.
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Rose McClendon's Early Life and Career
Rose McClendon was born Rosalie Virginia Scott in Greenville, South Carolina. When she was a child, her family moved to New York City. She started acting in plays at her church when she was young.
She became a professional actress in her thirties. This happened after she won a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. At age 20, she married Dr. Henry Pruden McClendon, who was a chiropractor.
First Big Roles and Broadway Success
Rose McClendon's first important role was in a play called Deep River in 1926. It was described as a "native opera with jazz." Besides acting, she also directed several plays. She worked at the Harlem Experimental Theatre.
In 1927, she appeared in In Abraham's Bosom by Paul Green. This play won the Pulitzer Prize. In 1931, she was in another Paul Green play on Broadway called The House of Connelly. This was the first play produced by the Group Theatre. It was directed by Lee Strasberg.
Rose McClendon worked with many famous people of her time. These included Paul Robeson, Ethel Barrymore, Lynn Fontanne, and Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes even created a character just for her in his 1935 play, Mulatto.
Directing and Founding Theatres
Rose McClendon was not only a talented actress but also a director. In 1935, she helped start the Negro People's Theatre in Harlem with Dick Campbell. Over 4,000 people came to see their first play. It was an adaptation of Waiting for Lefty by Clifford Odets. The group then became a permanent theatre company.
The Negro People's Theatre inspired the Negro Theatre Unit. This unit was part of the Federal Theatre Project. It was created in 1935 under Rose McClendon's guidance. She helped set up theatre units in many cities. These included Seattle, Hartford, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. She also connected many people and groups to the Federal Theatre Project.
McClendon told the national director, Hallie Flanagan, that the project needed experienced leaders. She chose John Houseman to help direct the New York unit.
Rose McClendon's Final Years
In December 1935, Rose McClendon had to leave the play Mulatto. She became very sick with pleurisy, which is a lung illness. She was supposed to play Lady Macbeth in Orson Welles's Macbeth in 1936. This was another Federal Theatre Project production. But because she was still sick, Edna Thomas took over the role.
Her illness later turned into pneumonia. Rose McClendon passed away at her home on July 12, 1936.
Rose McClendon's Lasting Impact
After Rose McClendon died in 1936, Dick Campbell formed a new theatre group. He named it the Rose McClendon Players to honor her.
In 1946, Carl Van Vechten created a special collection of photographs. It was called the Rose McClendon Memorial Collection of Photographs of Celebrated Negroes. This collection is kept at Howard University.
In 1950, her husband's family donated her scrapbooks to the New York Public Library. These books contain old newspaper articles, reviews, and photos from her career.
In 2021, a movie called Voodoo Macbeth was released. It tells the story of how the New York Negro Unit's 1936 production of Macbeth was created. Rose McClendon helped direct this production. The film stars Inger Tudor as Rose McClendon.
Selected Theatre Performances
Rose McClendon performed in many plays during her career. Here are some of her notable roles:
- 1919–20: Justice (her first professional play)
- 1926: Deep River as Octavie
- 1926–27: In Abraham's Bosom as Goldie McAllister
- 1927–30: Porgy as Serena (she performed this role many times, including tours)
- 1931: The House of Connelly as Big Sue
- 1932: Never No More as Mammy
- 1935: Panic as Old Woman
- 1935: Mulatto as Cora Lewis
