UW–Madison’s Baron Kelly was featured on Wisconsin Public Radio’s University of the Air in an episode that is titled, “Back Stage to Center Stage: The Groundbreaking Ira Aldrige.”
Kelly is a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Theatre and Drama, and also holds a concurrent appointment with the Odyssey Project in the Division of Continuing Studies.
In the episode, Kelly links his own journey to that of Ira Aldrige (1807-1867), America’s first internationally acclaimed African American actor. Kelly is working on a one-person show about Aldrige.
“I’ve always been the kind of person that has loved language,” explains Kelly. “And when I came across the exploits of Ira Aldrige, I was absolutely blown away. Because here was a man that was standing across the stages of Europe, dashing all of the pro-slavery arguments to pieces, and showing that one could be intelligent and speak the King’s English and be a revered figure in the theater, in places that had never seen a Black person before, really.”
Learn more about Ira Aldrige, and why he is an inspiration for Kelly, by listening to the full episode at wpr.org.