Sherman H. Dudley
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Sherman Houston Dudley (1872 – March 1, 1940) was an African American vaudeville performer and theatre entrepreneur.
[edit] Career
Born in Dallas, Texas, he became involved in medicine and minstrel shows in his youth. By the early 1890s he was a popular performer in troupes such as the Dudley Georgia Minstrels and the McCabe and Young Minstrels. In 1896 he wrote a play, The Smart Set, a title he would later use for some of his traveling shows. Around 1904 he introduced his most famous stage act, in which a mule dressed in overalls would nod his head as Dudley spoke, giving the impression that the mule understood what he was saying.
By about 1910 he was based in Washington D.C., where he served as general manager and treasurer of the Colored Actors' Union. In 1911 he set up S. H. Dudley Theatrical Enterprises, and began buying and leasing theatres to develop the first black vaudeville circuit, initially around Washington and Virginia. By 1916 the "Dudley Circuit" had extended into the south and Midwest, enabling black entertainers to secure longer term contracts for an extended season. His circuit provided the basis for the Theater Owners Bookers Association (T.O.B.A.)
After 1917 Dudley devoted himself to producing black musicals, including updated Smart Set productions. He sold his theatres around 1930, and retired to a farm in Maryland where he bred thoroughbred racehorses.
