 This production was only the second US staging of a Shakespeare play to feature an African-American actor in a prominent role among an otherwise all-white cast.The production played for 100 performances, then took a short break and returned to Broadway for 24 more performances.In 1946, Webster and Le Gallienne co-founded the American Repertory Theater with producer Cheryl Crawford, with Webster's staging of Shakespeare's "Henry VIII" as its premiere production, starring Le Gallienne as Katherine, Walter Hampden as Cardinal Wolsey and Victor Jory in the title role.