Joseph Bradford (1843–1886) was an American playwright who most famously helped write a landmark production, Out of Bondage, the first African American musical comedy. The show's cast included Pauline Hopkins and the Hyers Sisters, debuting in 1876. The production featured Sam Lucas, a famous minstrel performer of the era.
A White Bostonian, Bradford was also an actor, poet and journalist. He wrote for the Boston Courier as "Jay Bee".
Works
New German (1872)
Law in New York (1873)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1874) Libretto
The Conditional Pardon (1875)
Fritz's Brother (1875)
Out of Bondage (1876)
In and Out of Bondage (1877)
Our Bachelors (1877) OCLC 44017470
A.A. 1900 (1879)
John Mishler (1882)
One of the Finest (1883)
A Wonderful Woman (1883)
Cherubs (1885)
Rose and Coe (1886)