On this day, renowned Harlem Renaissance poet and playwright Langston Hughes saw his play Mulatto open at the Vanderbilt Theatre on Broadway. The play tackled themes of race, identity, and the complex relationship between a white Southern plantation owner and his mixed-race son. Despite (or perhaps because of) its controversial subject matter, Mulatto became the first successful play by an African American playwright on Broadway, running for 11 months with 373 performances — an unprecedented success at the time.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
