User:Librarycasti7/Edna Thomas

Edna Thomas (1886-July 22, 1974) was an American actress. She is most famous for her acting in the Federal Theater Project's theater in Harlem, New York, United States. That theater group was part of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. She played Lady Macbeth in a very popular production of the play. Thomas also appeared in the 1951 movie A Streetcar Named Desire.

Early life

Thomas was born in Lawrenceville, Virginia, United States. She moved to Boston, Massachusetts, United States, when she was one year old.

She married Stanley Lewis when she was young. After ten years of marriage he died. She moved to New York, New York. She married Lloyd Carter Thomas.

Career

Thomas and her husband lived in Harlem, New York. They enjoyed music. They supported the Rosamond Johnson Music Settlement. Thomas helped raise money for that music school.  Thomas was convinced to act in a skit during a benefit for the school. Lester Walton, manager of Lafayette Players, saw her perform. He wanted Thomas to work for his theater group.

Thomas said "no." Walton spent two years asking her to join his group. Finally, she agreed to audition. She won a leading role in the play called "Confidence," by Frank Wilson.

She played Cecelia in a jazz version of "Comedy of Errors." She was in Eugene O'Neil's "The Dreamy Kid." She also was in short plays that showed before longer plays like "Emperor Jones," David Belasco's "Lulu Belle." and "Old Man Satan."

Federal Theater Project

The Great Depression made many people lose their jobs. Actors did not have work. The United States government created many jobs. The Works Progress Administration of the United States government began many building projects, art projects, and other projects to give many people jobs.

The Federal Theater Project started many theater groups around the country. Most of the theater groups were for White people. However, the government started twenty-eight theater groups to make jobs for Black actors. One was in Harlem, New York.

Thomas was hired for that theater group. She was already famous for her work on Broadway. She played Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, and Lavinia in Androcles and the Lion.

Many White people thought that Black people could not do serious plays. In 1936, the Federal Theater Project group in Harlem decided to perform Sharespeare's play, Macbeth. It is a very serious play.

Orson Wells was the director of the play. He decided to change the setting of the play. The production did not take place in Scotland. It took place in 19th Century Haiti. The play premiered on April 14, 1936.

Political work

Thomas thought that President Franklin Roosevelt was a great president. She was very glad that he created theater groups for Black actors. She supported his election campaign. She became the leader of the campaign group for Black Americans.

After working as an actress, Thomas became Executive Secretary of the Negro Actors Guild of America. During World War II, the government hired many White performers to travel with the United Service Organizations. They performed for soldiers who were fighting in the war. Thomas wanted Black performers to have USO jobs, too. She worked hard to get Black representatives on the government committee that organized the USO.

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