Ira Frederick Aldridge was a renowned Shakespearean actor in the nineteenth century. He was the first American actor to perform in Russia.Aldridge was born on July 24, 1807 in New York City. His father Daniel and mother Luranah were free blacks. In 1818, Ira's mother died. When Ira's father remarried, he ran away from home. He worked on ship but when it docked in North Carolina, a slave dealer offered the captain $500 to buy Ira. The captain refused. Aldridge returned to New York to work backstage at the Chatham Theatre. He gained acting experience with the African Theatre group. Ira's debut was as Rolla, a Peruvian in the Richard Brinsley Sheridan adaptation of August von Kotzebue's "Pizarro." Aldridge could not garner major acting roles because he was African American, so he left for England in 1824.
On October 10, 1825, Aldridge debuted at London's Royal Coburg Theatre. The first week he played the lead role of Oroonoko in "The Revolt of Surina". Aldridge would play the guitar and sing an anti-slavery song at the end of his performances. Aldridge was famous for captivating his audiences. He became known as the African Roscius. Aldridge traveled to Russia in November of 1858, where he primarily toured during the last years of his career. He was the first American actor to perform in Croatia and Serbia.
Aldridge was married twice. In 1825, he married Margaret Gill of England, who died in 1864 and in 1865 he married Countess Amanda von Brandt of Sweden. He had two sons and three daughters. Aldridge died on August 7, 1867 and was buried in Lodz, Poland. Ira Aldridge is inscribed at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
