Edna Thomas

Edna Lewis Thomas (November 1, 1885 – July 22, 1974) was an American actress. From the 1920s, she was a noted stage actor in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. She acted on Broadway, with the Lafayette Players theater company, and in productions by the Federal Theater Project of the Works Progress Administration. Her portrayal of Lady Macbeth in Orson Welles' all-Black "Voodoo" Macbeth in 1936 was much acclaimed. She was an influential figure in Black theater, and was a member of the Alhambra Players and the Harlem Experimental Theatre. She only appeared on screen once, in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire.