Red Velvet explores the legacy of Ira Aldridge
By ANNE HOLLMULLER | March 1, 2018It is deeply compelling to observe Aldridge as he grapples with a role previously reserved for white men and the implications that come with it: critics who utilize explicit racial terminology to discuss his performance, fatal fissures in his longtime friendship with the flawed LaPorte, and his fellow cast members who awkwardly and haltingly attempt to understand Aldridge’s experiences.

















