Anita Bush

     Anita Bush The founder of the Anita Bush Players which were later renamed The Lafayette Players. She wanted to prove that blacks were just as good as whites and could do everything they could do. She wanted to be a dancer, but a back injury made her turn to acting. She walked down the street after talking to the management of the Lincoln Theater and grabbed anyone she thought had talent. Later, she moved the players to The Lafayette Theater and the name was changed to The Lafayette Players. She was a dancer before she founded The Anita Bush Players.

Anita Bush

Charles Gilpin

      As one of the original Anita Bush Players, he contributed a lot to the theater world. He made it to Broadway and was even voted one of the top ten people who contributed the most to American theater. After he left the players he went on to do many plays and musicals and other odd jobs. He is most remembered for his role in Eugene O'Neill's, The Emperor Jones.

Charles Gilpin

Evelyn Preer

     She often played lead roles and met her husband, Edward Thombson, while acting for the players. She was in many Oscar Micheaux films including Within Our Gates. She was also a singer and was in many films and musicals.

Evelyn Preer

Edward Thombson

      He played many lead roles in The Lafayette Players productions and was Evelyn Preer's husband. He took Lawrence Chenaulton place as star when Chenaulton was fired.

Clarence Muse

     One of the original Lafayette Players, a film actor, an opera singer, minstrel show performer, vaudeville and Broadway actor; he also wrote songs, plays, and sketches and he was a playwright. He performed in the first all black movie, Hearts in Dixie, as well. He and Langston Hughes wrote the script for Way down South, a film that tackled racial issues.

Clarence Muse Movie Poster

Other players that I couldn't find much infomation on are...

Carlotta Freeman, a friend of Anita's who wasn't a performer. 
Andrew Bishop, a comedian who did tab acts.
Dooley Wilson, a musician,actor and comedian with the nickname "Play it Again Sam".
Lawrence Chenaulton, a star from Harlem who Anita fired because of problems she had with him.