Disturbing, daring ‘Dancing in the Dark’
Largely-forgotten legend Bert Williams was a foundational figure in American theater, an inspiration to the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the first major African American performer on Broadway — and a “real coon.”
His simultaneous groundbreaking success and use of blackface is a paradox in the history of American theater.
Premiering this weekend at the Yale Cabaret, “Dancing in the Dark” explores this figure’s rich career. The original musical directed by Patricia McGregor DRA ’09 draws its inspiration — and its title — from a novel by Yale English professor...
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