Garland Anderson (playwright)

According to Alan Kriezenbeck in 1994, most available primary information about Anderson is in the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Most of the material is unsourced, undated newspaper clippings from Anderson's scrapbooks. The Helen Armstead-Johnson collection at the library also has a number of clippings; Anderson was the first person of color who was a member of PEN International. Kansas Anderson was born on February 18, 1886, the fourth of twelve children. After about four years of schooling, he and his family moved to California. Their last known residence in Kansas may have been Topeka in 1895, and a March 1928 California State Library biography lists his parents as Louis Anderson and Naomi Bowman. they referred to his father's birth in slavery, and Wichita was incorporated as a city on July 21, 1870 (after the American Civil War). The only black man then in the settlement, a migrant from the east, signed the petition to form the city. It is doubtful that Anderson's parents' families were from Wichita; his parents were probably attracted to it because of economic opportunity and relatively-relaxed attitudes about race. Churches for blacks were founded in the late 1870s, After Wichita was incorporated, it experienced an economic boom with the founding of two colleges and the passage of the Kansas Civil Rights Act of 1874. despite anti-Chinese violence in 1886 and increased racial segregation. California When Anderson's family arrived in Sacramento, his father was a janitor for the post office. He may have been a railroad porter after the fire. For about 15 years beginning around 1909, Anderson worked as a bellhop at a number of hotels. ==Appearances==

Anderson briefly dabbled in Christian Science. he became aware of psychology and read a book on New Thought, which impressed him. Anderson received tickets and the whereabouts of his first wife are unknown. Anderson headed the household of his brother's widow and her four children. He was connected with Al Jolson, who supported the play's early development and his move to New York City in 1924. and noted as vice-president of San Francisco's NAACP chapter, appeared in New York with his attorney in November. By Christmas, Anderson reported a leave of absence from the Braeburn Apartments Hotel He stayed at the Harlem YMCA. Anderson made the rounds of newspapers, who took him at his word. Although audience members were reportedly moved to tears, the reading earned only $140. and a free reading at the Manhattan Opera House When funding still lagged, Anderson went to see President Calvin Coolidge (another car held his supporters) in early September and appeared on WHN several weeks later, receiving a positive review. Appearances previewed in Elmira, New York, on September 26 and Utica on the 27th, opening at the Frolic Theater (atop the New Amsterdam Theatre) in New York on October 13. Lionel Monagas and Mildred Wall, who worked into the 1940s, played the leads. The play received a standing ovation on opening night The first week's gross was less than $2,000, it was the first full-length play written by a black man produced on Broadway Anderson appeared on WHN near the end of October, and spoke at a Harlem school community meeting in early November. He attempted to revive the play in late November, with attention from David Belasco and investors from Texas. and appeared on WNYC. The revival continued for a few more weeks, thanks to the unexpected contributors from Texas. two weeks later there was favorable critical publicity, and he spoke at another church. However, the revival closed in mid-January 1926. and in May he was in Los Angeles exploring movie rights and future productions of Appearances. West Coast In June 1926, Anderson was still in Los Angeles trying to market Appearances film rights to fund another production and spoke at an NAACP fundraiser. In April 1927 a new production, produced by Thomas Wilkes and directed by Virginia Brissac, opened at the Majestic Theatre. According to Anderson, Appearances ran for five weeks in Los Angeles. Appearances then went on tour, reportedly opening on March 19 Audience members played jurors for the play's trial, and response was so great that the entire audience was framed as jurors. several days later in Bismarck, North Dakota (receiving a positive review), followed by Minneapolis (again receiving a positive review). It reached Des Moines, Iowa in December, In January 1929 Anderson was in Chicago, received positively but in financial difficulty which was resolved in February with nine weeks of performances. In mid-March Anderson gave a talk in New York, and Appearances returned to the city in April to negative reviews. A claim by another writer that he had written part of Appearances underwent arbitration by the Authors League of America, and Anderson received sole credit for the play. In 1929, Anderson sold a work entitled Extortion to David Belasco. after 23 performances. Anderson wrote another play, which was not produced. Appearances was staged in March, touring Wales, Scotland, Brussels and Paris. Anderson remained in London, presenting "tea talks" at the Mayfair Hotel. Analysis and commentary Appearances was reprinted in 1996, and the play is solely about the murder of a white woman. Its impact has been summarized: Because no New York critic complained about black and white actors appearing together on stage, within four months of the opening of Anderson's most notable play, Belasco produced Lulu Belle (1926), with ninety-seven black actors and seventeen white actors. Hence the production of Appearances marked the beginning of an integrated Broadway stage. ==Speaking tours==

United Kingdom During the summer of 1930, Anderson debated Hannen Swaffer about the source of his inspiration at Queen's Hall in London. In December, he presented a talk entitled "Can playwrights turn failure into success?" A play, Not Quite a Lady was reportedly produced, and Appearances was performed as a Christmas benefit for the unemployed. In 1935 Anderson gave a talk to the Practical Psychology Club, "Finding our place in life", which began a speaking tour. He published a religious book, Uncommon Sense; The Law of Life in Action, John Galsworthy invited him to speak before PEN, a London writers' association. He addressed audiences in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, sponsored by Dick Sheppard, William T. Manning, S. Parkes Cadman and Stephen S. Wise, and offered a series of lessons on faith and success. which was published in a few years earlier. In September and October, Anderson was again speaking in California; an Oakland series began with "Why Christianity is practical". In October, he also appeared on KLX. In November and December, Anderson was in Los Angeles with support from followers in the UK and New York; although he recognized Jesus as the founder of the most practical teaching of all time, he was independent of any religious group. In December, Anderson spoke at Beth Eden Baptist and other churches. Hawaii and return to North America Anderson was reported as coming to Honolulu, and he was profiled in the Honolulu Advertiser in late January as a "playwright, lecturer, philosopher, traveler and religious teacher" not dependent on religion, mysticism, or science (or any "ism") for his ideas who spoke at the Young Hotel on "How and why prayers are answered", "Finding your place in life", "Using Uncommon Sense" and "How to be prosperous". In an interview, he was described as not being "puffed up" and speaking in a "simple, conversational vein that was delightful as well as informative." the Kawaihoa Church, a Chinese New Year luau, returning to the Young Hotel, a reception, a Bahá'í meeting and a youth group. Doris was mentioned (by her maiden name) in March, and left in April. Anderson visited Winnipeg in June and Buffalo, New York, in October. and the Andersons left for Paris in July. ==Book==

In January 1938, Doris published a memoir entitled I Married a Negro (in the UK) and Nigger Lover in the US. Coverage of the book continued into the summer. The book was reportedly not as lurid as either title, noting that they could generally stay in the same hotel on the West Coast and in Canada but were forbidden to share a room. The Andersons ultimately returned to the UK. ==Final play==

In 1939 Anderson had a heart attack in London, • "Garland Anderson to present Broadway Play", The New York Age, May 27, 1939, p. 4. • Writer returns home from England, The Pittsburgh Courier, June 3, 1939, p. 5. She said that the original name of her book was its UK title, I Married a Negro. Anderson died on June 1. He was cremated, and his remains were returned to England. ==Legacy==

Doris Anderson was again mentioned in Jet in 1953. Biographical material has been published occasionally on Anderson since the late 1960s, particularly by James Weldon Johnson. James Hatch republished Appearances, and a longer biography was written in 2012. ==Works==