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When Vincent Contrell first saw “Paul Robeson” performed at a theater in Denver, he decided he wanted to star in a production of the play.

That was in the late 1970s. Three decades later, Contrell hadn't forgotten about his desire to play Robeson, so he's performing in the one-man show at St. Philip's College in honor of Black History Month.

“I think of Paul Robeson as a great American, not as a great black American,” said Contrell, coordinator of the St. Philip's theater program. “I think Martin Luther King was able to do certain things because there was a Paul Robeson.”

Robeson, who was born in 1898, gained fame as an actor and singer in the 1920s and '30s, but he was also a civil rights activist who was accused of communist ties by the House Un-American Activities Committee and blacklisted.

In the show, written by Philip Hayes Dean, Robeson reminiscences about his childhood in New Jersey, his undergraduate education at Rutgers, his experiences at law school at Columbia University and his decision to become a performing artist after he realized no corporate law firm would allow a black man to argue in court.

“It's a great challenge for the performer. It gives you a lot of opportunity because you have to create these personas that Robeson encountered,” said Contrell, who was directed by Frank Latson of the San Pedro Playhouse.

Music is essential to the two-act play; it includes songs that Robeson was known for, such as “Old Man River” and spirituals.

Contrell hopes to educate audiences about Robeson, whose fame dwindled after his death in 1976.
“He was a man of great international stature, as a singer, actor, humanitarian.”

Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor