It was something I remembered from a long long time ago, when I 'trod the boards meself, luvvie'...

It was one of those ridiculous rules quoted to illustrate the absurdity of racial discrimination and segregation. A white actor could 'black up' and act with other white actors, but a black actor could not act with white actors. If a black actor was used for a leading role, the whole cast had to be black. Hence, it would have been illegal for a black actor to 'white up' and play the role of Hamlet - or any other role.

"The first American film to feature black characters was Uncle Tom in 1903, a silent movie which was played by a white actor. Black actors were not allowed to appear on screen and the characters conformed to racist stereotypes. Even when black actors were first allowed to appear on television or in shows they had to wear blackface to suit white audiences or were not allowed to perform." - from 'Black Britain'.

Don't forget, it's less than 400 years ago that women were allowed on stage!

LTS