 Robeson, however, did not originate the lead role in O’Neill's "The Emperor Jones".Charles Sidney Gilpin, a respected leading man from the all-black Lafayette Players of Harlem, was the first actor to play the role of Brutus Jones when it was first staged on November 1, 1920, by the Provincetown Players at the Playwright's Theater in New York City.This production was O'Neill's first real smash hit.