OLDEST -- African-American Theatre - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 58.464 W 075° 09.544
18S E 486417 N 4424927
Freedom Theater is Pa's oldest African American theater, as well as the nation's largest. The Theater's Freedom Rep company is world-class & the state-of-the-art Philadelphia theater is deeply rooted in the African-American tradition.
Waymark Code: WM7MGE
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 11/09/2009
Views: 4
The historic marker out front reads, "Formerly the home of actor Edwin Forrest, later Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Became Heritage House, then in 1968, Freedom Theater, a community-based Black theater for professional instruction in the theatrical arts." Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
From their website: Founded by John E. Allen, Jr. in 1966, Freedom Theatre is Pennsylvania's oldest African-American theatre. In 1968 Robert E. Leslie joined Freedom Theatre and founded the Performing Arts Training Program in 1971. After John E. Allen, Jr.'s death in 1992, nationally acclaimed director Walter Dallas became Freedom's Artistic Director.
Freedom Theatre is located on Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts, in the historic Edwin Forrest Mansion at 1346 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19121.