Lolita Chakrabarti’s “Red Velvet” is set to make its Fresno theatre premiere tonight as Fresno State’s University Theatre’s third show of the 2024-25 mainstage season.
Directed by Fresno State theater professor Brad Myers, the production is set against the backdrop of 19th century London. The play follows the true story of Ira Aldridge, the first Black man to play Shakespeare’s highly-revered Othello on a major English stage.
The story sees Aldridge in his later years, with flashbacks that showcase the racism, oppression and triumphs he faced throughout his life and career.
“This was right after slavery was abolished [in London],” lead actor Jimmy Haynie told The Collegian. “It was extremely controversial and scandalous to have a Black man perform on stage during this time and previously, it had only been done in blackface by Edmund Kean.”
Haynie said he was excited to portray such an important historical figure but was skeptical about the play’s authenticity before auditioning.
“I was unsure how to feel about a black story being told from a non black perspective,” Haynie said. “But early on in the process, I think what made me most excited was being able to tell this important story. I think people like him deserve to be heard about and learned about, because he, and we know this from so many wonderful black people in history, a lot of our history is forgotten.”
The show marks Myers’ final directorial feat after a 42-year-long career.
“When I first was looking for a show for my swan song I read an awful lot of plays, more plays than usual, because I was looking for something very particular,” Myers told The Collegian. “I wanted a piece of theater that I would be really passionate about, and I wanted a show that was really good for our theater arts majors…I finally came across Red Velvet, and that was a very exciting find.”
Myers has previously directed Fresno State productions of “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Private Life of the Master Race” and many more.
With “Red Velvet,” he hopes to deliver a fresh take on a relatively unknown story.
“I think that this play can be more impactful, has the potential to be more impactful,” Myers said. “It doesn’t just feel like just an old history lesson. The issues are certainly of racism and misogyny. Ira Aldridge was also an American. He was an American-born actor, and so there’s xenophobia in the play, because they’re mortified. There’s some voices in the play that really think that they need to preserve the traditions, the English traditions of Shakespeare, and that that does not include having a black man play a fellow, or an American stepping onto the stage in a Shakespearean play.”
“I’m satisfied,” Myers said. “I don’t know that I’ve really had an end in vision, if that makes sense. I haven’t had an end in sight. It’s just do the best I can with every show I take on. You know, do the best I can given where I am at in my own artistic development, and I feel that that’s happened.”
Myers says the goal for this production is to inspire people to not give up on their dreams, even when it seems like the odds are stacked against them.
“I think his story is inspirational,” Myers said. “And for a lot of people today who encounter obstacles because of who they are, for whatever reason, the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual identity, anything like that. Ira Aldrich fought through that adversity, and ultimately his whole life was a real triumph over that adversity.”
Haynie also agrees that Aldridge’s story is one that will inspire.
“I think people who will take the most away from it are those who are driven and…are working towards those goals,” Haynie said. “It’s very telling of the time nowadays…we still struggle with inclusion and diversity in in our profession.”
Performances will run Dec. 6-7, 10-14, and will start at 7:30 p.m. at the John W. Wright Theatre on the Fresno State campus. An additional performance will be held Dec. 8 at 2 p.m.
Doors open 30 minutes before curtain and latecomers will not be allowed in, according to the press release.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Fresno State faculty, staff, alumni and military and $10 for all students.
The box office is open 12-3 p.m. on Tuesday-Thursday, and one hour before each performance.
Parking is free for shows on Friday through Sunday night. For shows on Tuesday through Thursday night, parking permits are required and can be purchased at dispensers in parking lots on campus for $5.
