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Ira Aldridge
Shakespearean actor; the greatest tragedian of the nineteenth-century stage
America would not let him act, so he conquered Europe's stages — and became the most decorated Shakespearean of his age.
The rise
Born free in New York, Aldridge trained at the African Grove Theatre but left for England in his teens, knowing that racial barriers would cap his career in America. He debuted at London's Royal Coburg Theatre and rose to lead roles across Europe.