Chautauqua 2006: Paul Robeson (part 2)

This is a Chautauqua 2006 portrayal of Paul Robeson by actor Marvin Jefferson.

Paul Robeson (1898-1976) epitomized the 20th-century Renaissance man. An exceptional athlete, actor, singer, scholar, and author, Robeson was valedictorian at Rutgers University and earned a law degree from Columbia University. He ultimately opted to pursue an acting career, and was especially noted for his rendition of "Ol' Man River" in the musical Show Boat and for his groundbreaking lead performance in Shakespeare's Othello. In time, however, Robeson's social activism eclipsed his career as a performer and his radical political beliefs eroded his mainstream popularity.

Marvin Jefferson has an extensive background as a professional actor and since 1997 has portrayed Paul Robeson in every school in the Newark, New Jersey, school district. In 2005, he appeared as Robeson in the Colorado Chautauqua. He taught at Essex County College, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and the Newark Community School of the Arts, and currently teaches acting at Bloomfield College. Jefferson studied acting at the Mason Gross School of Arts, Rutgers University.

Chautauqua (shuh-taw-kwa) takes its name from a lake in upstate New York, beginning in 1874 as a training course for Sunday School teachers. In 1878 the Chautauqua movement expanded its philosophy of adult education to include an appreciation for the arts and humanities. By 1904, Chautauqua took to the road as part of the Lyceum movement, bringing lectures and entertainers to towns across America. By 1930, radio, movies, and automobiles had made Chautauqua largely a thing of the past.

Reborn as a public humanities program in 1976, today's Chautauquas feature scholars who take on the persona of celebrated historical figures, educating and entertaining audiences as they bring the past to life again.

If you would like to see the entire portrayal, contact the Maryland Humanities Council at mdhc.org.

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