African American Performance History Ethel Waters Stage and Film Career Materials 1934 to 1959

1934. Waters, Ethel, group of six items dating from 1934 to 1959, documents the stage and screen career of Ethel Waters, a central figure in twentieth century African American performance history whose work in theater, music, and film intersected with the integration of American entertainment industries. Rising to prominence in Harlem during the 1920s as a jazz and blues vocalist, Waters became one of the highest paid Black recording artists of her era and later broke racial barriers on Broadway and in television. Her starring role in As Thousands Cheer established one of the earliest instances of integrated billing between Black and white performers on the Broadway stage, while later productions and film roles expanded her presence across national audiences. Her repertoire, including "Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue?," achieved lasting recognition in American music history, and her public persona and personal life contributed to her reception within queer audiences, including lesbian and gay communities.

Archive of six items comprising two original black and white silver gelatin press photographs and four playbills spanning theater and film productions from 1934 to 1959. Materials include:
[1] Playbill for As Thousands Cheer. Chicago: Shubert Grand Opera House, November 5, 1934. Four pages. Documents Waters' featured performance in Irving Berlin's production, noted for integrated billing and for introducing the song "Heat Wave."
[2] Playbill for Cabin in the Sky. Chicago: Selwyn Theatre, May 4, 1941. Sixteen pages with cover image of Waters alongside Todd Duncan and Dooley Wilson. Early all Black musical production with a sustained theatrical run.
[3] Press photograph for Cabin in the Sky (film). 1943. Approximately 7 x 9.5 inches. Image of Waters with Eddie "Rochester" Anderson as Petunia and Little Joe; verso retains original press caption. Film adaptation directed by Vincente Minnelli featuring an ensemble cast including Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington.
[4] Playbill for The Member of the Wedding. Ivoryton, Connecticut: Ivoryton Playhouse, July 13, 1953. Sixteen pages. Includes feature noting Waters as "Star of the Week," documenting her role as Berenice Sadie Brown.
[5] Playbill for At Home with Ethel Waters. New York: 48th Street Theatre, September 22, 1953. Thirty two pages. Musical revue featuring twenty six songs performed with accompanist Reginald Beane, including "Am I Blue?," "Suppertime," "St. Louis Blues," and "Stormy Weather."
[6] Press photograph for The Sound and the Fury. April 9, 1959. Approximately 7.5 x 9 inches. Depicts Waters with Joanne Woodward and Yul Brynner; verso retains press caption. Final film role of Waters.

These materials trace Waters' movement from early integrated Broadway performance through mid century theatrical revivals and into late career film work, providing a continuous record of African American participation in mainstream entertainment across multiple media. Productions such as Cabin in the Sky and The Member of the Wedding situate Waters within a cohort of Black performers who expanded narrative and representational possibilities on stage and screen during a period of segregation and limited roles. The inclusion of both playbills and press photography documents the promotional and institutional frameworks through which Black performers were presented to audiences, while the chronological range captures shifts from Harlem Renaissance performance circuits to postwar film adaptation. Light handling wear with minor edge wear to playbills; photographs retain strong contrast and clear detail with intact press captions. Overall very good condition.