Edna Lewis Thomas | |
|---|---|
 Thomas as Lady Macbeth, 1936 | |
| Born | Edna Lewis November 1, 1885 Lawrenceville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | July 22, 1974 (aged 88) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1920–1956 |
| Era | Harlem Renaissance |
| Employer | Federal Theater Project |
| Known for | Portraying Lady Macbeth in "Voodoo" Macbeth |
| Spouse(s) | Lloyd Thomas (m. c. 1914) |
| Partner | Olivia Wyndham (1930–after 1942) |
Edna Lewis Thomas (November 1, 1885 – July 22, 1974) was an American stage actress whose career began in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance. She appeared 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.
Thomas was born in Virginia and raised in Boston. After moving to New York around 1916, she worked as a social secretary for the beauty entrepreneur Madam C. J. Walker. Though she was married to Lloyd Thomas, she started a long-term romantic relationship with British socialite Olivia Wyndham around 1930 and the three lived together for many years in a Harlem co-op.