Born and raised in New York, French began his career in community theater. It wasn’t long before he was also performing in street plays in Harlem for Amiri Baraka’s Black Arts Repertory Theater. In 1967 French was one of the founding members of the Negro Ensemble Company. His career however, was not limited to theater. He also has appeared in such notable films as “Malcolm X”, “Crooklyn”, “Car Wash”, “Round Midnight”and “Kinsey”, and on television programs such as “Law and Order”.

In light of his contributions to theatre, Actor’s Equity Association has named him the 2015 recipient of the Paul Robeson Citation award.

BRAVO to the great Arthur French who will receive the Actors' Equity Foundation 2015 Paul Robeson Citation Award http://t.co/UKjFOYJhi3

— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) October 9, 2015

French joins other notable recipients of the award such as Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Maya Angelou and Sidney Poitier, among others. According to the website,

Created in 1971, the award honors individuals or organizations that best exemplify and practice the principles to which Mr. Robeson devoted his life:  dedication to the universal brotherhood of all humankind, commitment to the freedom of conscience and of expression, belief in the artist’s responsibility to society, respect for the dignity of the individual and concern for and service to all humans of any race or nationality.

Actors’ Equity Association is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 Actors and Stage Managers. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans.  Actor’s Equity Association has committed to “…present annual citations to the individual or organization that, during the preceding year or years, best exemplified and practiced the principles and ideals of the great humanitarian, Paul Robeson.”

French will be presented with the award at 2:00 pm on Friday, October 16, 2015 at the Eastern Regional Membership Meeting of Actors’ Equity Association.  We are thrilled to express our appreciation to Arthur French for his contribution to Black Broadway and our congratulations on receiving this well deserved award!

The post Arthur French Honored with the Paul Robeson Citation Award appeared first on Broadway Black.

The Most Dangerous Man in America (W.E.B. Du Bois) is a dramatic reflection of one of the most traumatic events in the terrible period of McCarthyism. W.E.B. Du Bois, cofounder of the NAACP and a scholar and political activist known and recognized throughout the world for his advocacy of peace and his opposition to nuclear weapons, was indicted in 1951 by the U.S. federal government at the age of 82 as a spy or, specifically, “an agent of a foreign power.” DuBois and others were persecuted during the days of the McCarthy era witch-hunts. Anyone who had any independent thought was branded as a member of the Communist Party and, therefore, an enemy of the United States.  Among those hauled into Congress and excoriated were DuBois, Paul Robeson and other activist/artists, Black and white.  DuBois, a founder of the NAACP and the organization’s Crisis Magazine, held tight to a life-long mission to actively research what, if anything, Black people could do to extricate themselves from the stranglehold of racism in a post-slavery society.  Throughout the play, the focus moves back and forth between the Harlem community and their opinions, and the witnesses’ testimony and the courtroom battles, giving a more balanced view of the interior narrative.

Artist and activist Danny Glover spoke of the nexus between DuBois and Baraka, both of whom were activists. Glover stated that Baraka was the inspiration behind his becoming an actor and the activist he is today. “When I think about Dr. DuBois, I think about Amiri who I met for the first as a 20-year-old student in 1967 (at San Francisco State College). We invited him there to develop a community communications program. Amiri talked about the use of art as a means of revolution. It was the beginning of my transformation.”

Leading the company of The Most Dangerous Man in America (WEB DuBois) are former WABC-TV news anchor Art McFarland as Du Bois and Petronia Paley as his wife. Also featured are Arthur Bartow, Michael Basile, Marie Guinier, Ralph McCain, Zuhariah McGil, Nick Plakias, Stu Richel, Joyce Sylvester, and Landon G. Woodson, along with Lamar K. Cheston, Keldrick Crowder, Sidiki Fofana, Michael Green, Te’la Curtis Lee, Robert Siverls, and Akil N. Williams.

Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theatre has dedicated its 46th season to the late poet/playwright Amiri Baraka. The season, titled “The Amiri Baraka Project,” contains two Baraka plays: his 1964 classic Dutchman, which closed on March 8, and The Most Dangerous Man in America (W. E. B. Du Bois) from May 28-June 11. The New Federal Theatre was founded in 1970 by Woodie King Jr. and specializes in producing plays by writers of color, and of women.

The post Amiri Baraka’s Final Play, On WEB DuBois, to Premiere in NYC appeared first on Broadway Black.