Bassa Moona: The Land I Love
One of the more unusual FTP productions was Bassa Moona, a dance opera, which had its premiere December 8, 1936, at the Lafayette Theatre in New York City’s Harlem. The African American cast of forty actors and thirty dancers was directed by Nigerian immigrants Momodu Johnson and Norman Coker. The play was heavily imbued with aspects of ritual drawn from Nigerian life that included war dances, witch doctors, and heavy drumming, recalling aspects of the “Voodoo” Macbeth, which was performed earlier in the year at the same theater. The play provided one of the earliest acting jobs for Rosetta LeNoire (1911–2002), goddaughter of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, who is best known for her role on television’s Family Matters.
One of the more unusual FTP productions was <em>Bassa Moona</em>, a dance opera, which had its premiere December 8, 1936, at the Lafayette Theatre in New York City’s Harlem. The African American cast of forty actors and thirty dancers was directed by Nigerian immigrants Momodu Johnson and Norman Coker. The play was heavily imbued with aspects of ritual drawn from Nigerian life that included war dances, witch doctors, and heavy drumming, recalling aspects of the “Voodoo” <em>Macbeth</em>, which was performed earlier in the year at the same theater. The play provided one of the earliest acting jobs for Rosetta LeNoire (1911–2002), goddaughter of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, who is best known for her role on television’s <em>Family Matters</em>.