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racial identity over the span of the civil rights era and beyond, particularly as they emerged and developed in the professional theatre. Documents in the collection reveal White's thoughts about her personal life and political activist heritage as well as the craft of her work. There is evidence of how she constructed her characters and executed performances. A small amount of biographical information highlights White's life outside the theatre, and the many photographs show her onstage as well as in more candid poses. While the collection documents Jane White's life and work and, to a lesser extent, that of her husband
Alfredo Viazzi, her perspective on her prominent family lends insight into studies of parents Walter and Gladys White.
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The bulk of the papers concern Jane White's theatrical career. These materials, enhanced by White's eloquent self-reflections in interviews generated by her work on stage, document the career of a versatile performer. Her tenuous place on the color line brings into relief the shifting perceptions of
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At the beginning of her freshman year, a fellow resident in White's dormitory, who was white, told the college leadership that she refused to share a dormitory with a woman of color and would leave the school unless White were forced to leave. The college rejected the ultimatum; the student elected
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so she might follow her father into social activism, but she maintained a stronger passion for the arts. She minored in music, studying classical voice with Anna Hamlin, and participated in extracurricular dance and fencing. In 1943 she also served as president of the student house of
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White continued to work steadily in theatre and occasionally in television and movies from the 1970s through the 2000s. Her theatrical work has spanned summer stock, off-Broadway and on-Broadway shows. Much of her work was in classical dramas, with particular focus on
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In 1962, White met the New York restaurateur
Alfredo Viazzi, and after a short courtship they were wed. They moved to Italy in 1965, but moved back to the U.S. in the late 1960s. Viazzi died of a heart attack on December 28, 1987, aged 66.
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I should like to pay tribute to the cast of this play as a whole, but particularly to Jane White whose first venture this is on the stage and who plays her part with restraint and beauty.
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at 409 Edgecombe Avenue. The house was nicknamed "The White House of Harlem" because of the prominent and important figures who were part of her parents' circle, such as
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White worked for a short time as a proofreader for the
Research Institute of America while also attending beginners' acting classes at New York's
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In the late 1970s, White and her husband opened
Alfredo’s Settebello in the Village, and White performed there as a cabaret singer.
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White died on July 24, 2011, in New York City, aged 88, of cancer. She was predeceased by her husband, Alfredo Viazzi.
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In 1965, White and her husband, restaurateur
Alfredo Viazzi, left New York for Italy, returning three years later.
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White made her TV debut as a dramatic actress on June 14, 1950, in "You Have Been Warned", an episode of
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representatives, making her the first black student elected to serve in a government position at Smith.
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In 1945, White secured her first part playing the lead role of "Nonnie" in the
Broadway production of
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Who's Who in the
Theatre. "Jane White." 17th ed. Gale Research, 1981. Document Number: K1652002072
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She won the 1988–89 Los
Angeles Critics Circle Award for her role as the Mother in
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1315:"Alfredo Viazzi, Restaurant Owner and Pasta Expert, Is Dead at 66",
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In 1959, White played the role of the scheming Queen
Aggravain in
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in 1989 and continued to send additions until her death in 2011.
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White was born in New York City to Gladys Leah Powell and
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1333:, volume 68 (2011-2012). ©2013; ISBN 978-1-47688-677-0
224:, a civil-rights leader and national secretary of the
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For the
American music educator and songwriter, see
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256:. She had one brother, Walter Carl Darrow White.
1213:. New York: The Viking Press, 1948. pp. 337-338.
1344:"Jane White – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB"
1190:. Vol. 16. Philadelphia: Chilton Company, 1960.
263:beginning in the early 1940s; she majored in
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198:. In 1959, she opened the acclaimed musical
172:. This performance was followed by roles in
1463:20th-century African-American women singers
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1200:"Walter Francis White/Civil Rights Leader"
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427:and the 2001 production of Sondheim's
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1304:"Jane White Performs at Feinstein's"
1177:Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008.
857:Episode: "The Goodwill Ambassadors"
1468:20th-century American women singers
1399:, Smith College Special Collections
1473:American musical theatre actresses
436:In addition to the productions of
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903:Episode: "The Taming of Lucille"
875:Episode: "Welcome to a Stranger"
228:. She grew up in the fashionable
143:in 1966 for her performance in a
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937:Episode: "Trumpets of the Lord"
492:White donated her papers to the
23:. For the American painter, see
1228:. George Washington University.
1135:"Collection: Jane White papers"
110:
1329:Ben Hodges & Scott Denny.
1022:Episode: "Hit the Road, Jack"
800:Episode: "You've Been Warned"
365:and the Princess of France in
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1478:American expatriates in Italy
1448:American television actresses
1188:Theatre World: Season 1959-60
1080:as the Princess of France in
1078:New York Shakespeare Festival
997:Great Performances at the Met
433:, to name a small selection.
353:New York Shakespeare Festival
46:Publicity Photo of Jane White
1423:Actresses from New York City
1271:Vitello, Paul (2011-08-07).
1076:for her performances in the
139:stage performances. She won
16:American actress (1922–2011)
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1453:African-American actresses
1383:Internet Broadway Database
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1139:Smith College Finding Aids
621:Young Butterfly, 1st Moth
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1058:Appellate Judge A. Green
820:Episode: "The Long Fall"
335:made her Broadway debut.
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934:Reverend Mary Alexander
216:Early life and education
1458:American film actresses
1397:Sophia Smith Collection
1004:Episode: "Les Troyens"
897:The Taming of the Shrew
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691:The Power and the Glory
494:Sophia Smith Collection
417:; and musicals such as
196:The Power and The Glory
145:Shakespeare in the Park
1243:The Ohio Daily-Express
1072:White won the 1965–66
885:Car 54, Where Are You?
162:In 1945, she made her
1443:The New School alumni
1428:Obie Award recipients
1014:Everything's Relative
986:Tante Helene LeVeaux
751:Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
379:Federico Garcia Lorca
1438:Smith College alumni
1223:Eleanor Roosevelt's
964:Once Upon a Mattress
912:Once Upon A Mattress
710:The Queen Aggravain
706:Once Upon a Mattress
439:Once Upon a Mattress
424:A Little Night Music
368:Love's Labour's Lost
329:Once Upon a Mattress
238:James Weldon Johnson
222:Walter Francis White
201:Once Upon a Mattress
150:Love's Labour's Lost
125:Walter Francis White
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981:Search for Tomorrow
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646:The Climate of Eden
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457:Search for Tomorrow
407:; comedies such as
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81:New York City, U.S.
65:New York City, U.S.
21:Jane Douglass White
1277:The New York Times
1211:A Man Called White
1186:Blum, Daniel, ed.
1040:Josephine Gregory
892:show within a show
818:Episode: "Brains"
812:Crime Photographer
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394:Iphigenia at Aulis
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661:Take a Giant Step
617:The Insect Comedy
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445:The Edge of Night
302:Eleanor Roosevelt
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836:Dolores Infante
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740:Solange LaFitte
606:Nonnie Anderson
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478:Jane White, Who?
419:Stephen Sondheim
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1351:. Retrieved
1348:www.ibdb.com
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1288:. Retrieved
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76:(2011-07-24)
1418:2011 deaths
1413:1922 births
1043:4 episodes
1001:Andromache
955:6 episodes
894:excerpt of
890:Katharine (
349:Shakespeare
331:, in which
210:Joseph Bova
141:Obie Awards
1407:Categories
1379:Jane White
1370:Jane White
1353:2020-07-14
1290:2020-07-17
1144:2020-07-17
1099:References
1086:Coriolanus
1074:Obie award
765:Television
565:Lady Jones
548:Janie Dale
362:Coriolanus
342:1970s–2011
306:First Lady
287:New School
230:Sugar Hill
156:Coriolanus
133:Jane White
58:1922-10-30
34:Jane White
1285:0362-4331
1161:CC BY 3.0
755:Big Mama
676:Jane Eyre
389:Euripides
272:to stay.
265:sociology
191:Jane Eyre
166:debut in
1249:April 9,
1163:license.
793:Stage 13
725:Barbara
357:Volumnia
324:on CBS.
321:Stage 13
164:Broadway
1395:at the
1381:at the
1090:Lorca's
736:Follies
680:Bertha
560:Beloved
473:Beloved
430:Follies
304:, then
115:
107:
103:
1283:
1225:My Day
1068:Awards
1027:1989–
872:Maria
805:1951–
783:Notes
777:Title
665:Carol
650:Ellen
593:Notes
587:Title
533:Notes
454:, and
404:Ghosts
310:My Day
276:Career
252:, and
234:Harlem
194:, and
121:Father
95:Spouse
1048:1991
1029:1990
1009:1987
993:1983
976:1979
960:1972
942:1969
924:1968
908:1964
880:1961
862:1957
844:1957
826:1956
807:1952
788:1950
780:Role
774:Year
747:2008
732:2001
717:1968
702:1959
687:1958
672:1958
657:1953
642:1952
628:1951
613:1948
598:1945
590:Role
584:Year
575:Stage
543:Klute
527:Title
504:Death
226:NAACP
109:(
105:
1374:IMDb
1281:ISSN
1251:2023
1035:Amen
555:1998
538:1971
530:Role
524:Year
517:Film
512:Work
397:and
244:and
242:Paul
208:and
153:and
71:Died
52:Born
1372:at
496:at
470:'s
421:'s
411:'s
401:'s
381:'s
359:in
355:as
1409::
1346:.
1279:.
1275:.
1263:^
1241:.
1147:.
1137:.
1106:^
1095:.
900:)
448:,
391:'
371:.
289:.
248:,
240:,
212:.
188:,
184:,
180:,
176:,
111:m.
1356:.
1319:.
1293:.
1257:.
60:)
56:(
27:.
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