William Alexander Brown facts for kids

William Alexander Brown, also known as William Henry Brown (1790–1884), was an American writer and theatre leader. He is known as the first Black playwright in America. He created the first theatre company in the U.S. that was just for Black performers and audiences.

William Alexander Brown's Life Story

Early Life and New Beginnings

William Brown was born in the West Indies in 1790. He worked on ships as a steward. After his time at sea, he moved to New York City. He settled in a neighborhood where many free Black people lived.

Starting the African Grove Theatre

In 1816, Brown opened a summer "tea garden" in New York. This place soon became the African Grove Theatre. It was a very special place because it was the first theatre company in America with only Black actors. The African Grove Theatre offered music, plays, and outdoor entertainment. It was a place for the free Black community to enjoy shows. However, officials closed it down in 1821.

Facing Challenges with the African Theatre

Brown did not give up. He formed his group of performers again. They called themselves the African Theatre, also known as the African Company. They continued to perform outdoors.

The African Theatre faced many problems. They were often bothered by people who did not want them to perform. Eventually, a nearby theatre, the Park Theatre, saw them as competition. The city sheriff then forced Brown's African Theatre to close.

Even after being shut down, Brown kept performing outdoors illegally. The last known performance of the African Theatre was in January 1824. It took many years, until after the American Civil War, for all-Black theatre companies to appear again.

What They Performed

The African Theatre put on many different types of shows. They performed classic plays, popular plays, ballet, music, and opera. They even performed plays by William Shakespeare. William Brown also wrote his own plays for the company.

Brown's Important Play

One of Brown's most famous plays was The Drama of King Shotaway (1823). This play was about a Black Carib leader named Joseph Chatoyer. Brown called him Shotaway in the play. The story was about Chatoyer's fight against British rule. This play is considered the first play written by a person of African descent in America. It is thought that Brown might have known about the Second Carib War from his time working on ships.

Why William Brown Was Important

William Brown created the first theatre in the United States that was specifically for Black people. Before this, theatres mostly served white audiences. The African Grove Theatre and African Theatre gave free Black people a sense of belonging. It allowed them to enjoy theatre and see Black actors performing stories.

The African Theatre's first play was Richard III on September 17, 1821. In 1822, the African Theatre moved to 1215 Mercer Street in New York City.

Brown allowed white audiences to attend his theatre, but they had to sit in the back. He once said, "Whites do not know how to conduct themselves at the entertainments of ladies and gentlemen of Colour." The company continued to produce more plays, like William Moncrieff's Tom and Jerry. However, the African Theatre closed in 1824.