Freedom Theatre
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Formerly the home of actor Edwin Forrest, later Philadelphia School of Design for Women. Became Heritage House, then in 1968, Freedom Theatre, a community-based Black theater for professional instruction in the theatrical arts.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
This building has worn many identities across a century and a half—first the home of famed tragedian Edwin Forrest, then the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, and later Heritage House. In 1968 it became the Freedom Theatre, a community-rooted Black theater dedicated to professional training in the dramatic arts. Amid the era's civil-rights ferment, it gave African-American performers a stage and a school of their own.
Why it matters
As one of the oldest African-American theaters in the nation, it reflects how the arts became a vehicle for cultural pride and opportunity during the Black freedom movement.
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Related people
- · Edwin Forrest
Themes & tags
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