Feature: A Landmark Production with a Landmark Actor: Remembering James Earl Jones' Star Turn in DC

This past Monday the theatre world lost someone who was arguably one of the finest performers of all time. Most people knew James Earl Jones as the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies or from the film Field of Dreams but for those of us who live and breathe theatre, we will always remember his performances onstage.

One of his finest stage performances actually has a big DC connection. In December of 1967, Howard Sackler’s play The Great White Hope premiered at Arena Stage with Jones portraying heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson. The show transferred to Broadway in 1968 and Arena Stage acheived national status. The show gave Jones his first Tony Award for Best Actor. In 1987 he won his second Best Actor Tony Award for his portrayal of Troy Maxon in August Wilson’s Fences. He was nominated for two more Tony Awards before receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. The Broadway theatre that bears his name can be found on 48th Street between sixth and seventh avenues.

What follows is a local remembrance of James Earl Jones. With help from Arena Stage, here are some vintage photos of their premiere 1967 production of The Great White Hope.

The next time you hear “This is CNN” or watch a Star Wars movie, please remember that James Earl Jones’ theatre career spanned Shakespeare, comedies, and dramas. The voice and the man will sorely be missed.

Lead photo credit: James Earl Jones and Jimmy Pelham in Arena Stage's 1967 production of The Great White Hope . Photo by Mike Mitchell.

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