Anna Lucasta opened on Broadway on August 20, 1944, at the Mansfield Theatre (now the Brooks Atkinson Theatre). The play, written by Philip Yordan, was originally about a Polish American family but was adapted for an all-Black cast by the American Negro Theatre.
Hilda Simms starred as Anna, and Frederick O’Neal played Danny. The play was groundbreaking because it provided Black actors with complex, non-stereotypical roles, making it a major success. It ran for 957 performances, making it one of the longest-running Broadway plays with a predominantly Black cast at the time.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
