Abstract

In November 1948, Fredrik Haslund, then the chief of the Norwegian Government Welfare Office for the Merchant Marine, traveled to the United States as Norway's delegate to the United Nations. Haslund was known for his bold imagination. During the war, he successfully smuggled Norway's gold reserves out of the country, which was under Nazi occupation. While in New York, Haslund learned that the Howard University Players were performing Ibsen's Vilanden (The Wild Duck). He was intrigued by the idea of a Black production of this Norwegian classic. When he arrived in Washington D.C. a few days later, he expressed to some members of the Norwegian Embassy his desire to see their interpretation of the play. Following the performance, Haslund spoke with the director, Professor Anne Cooke Reid, about the possibility of taking the show to Norway. Consequently, in March 1949, the Norwegian government officially invited the Howard University Players to embark on a ten-week tour of Norway in the fall of that year. The tour was led by Prof. Cooke Reid and Professor Owen Dodson, who were committed to establishing Howard University as a key institution for African American theater and dramatic literature.

Keywords: Baron Kelly, Anne Cooke Reid, Own Vincent Dodson, Howard University, Howard University Players, Henrik Ibsen's Vilanden, The Wild Duck

How to Cite:

Kelly, B., (2025) “Anne Cooke Reid and Owen Dodson: Standard Bearers of Excellence”, the Black Theatre Review 3(2), 1-13. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/tbtr.5284