James Earl Jones Saves the Play

Usually I just went to bookstores but sometimes I saw a play, and that’s how I saw James Earl Jones onstage in The Great White Hope, and witnessed the great actor improvising a save when something unexpected threatened to blunt the play’s impact. Prior to The Great White Hope, James Earl Jones had done some theater, television, and film (most notably Lt. Lothar Zogg in Dr. Strangelove), but this play was his breakout role. The Great White Hope won the Tony Award for best play that year (and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama), and James Earl Jones won for best leading actor, and Jane Alexander for best featured actress.

Source: www.charlespetzold.com