Anything bearing the slightest whiff of "DEI" is deeply unfashionable right now. But then along comes a play like "Red Velvet" to remind us of why concerns over racial equity and equality were ever a thing in the first place.

"Red Velvet," which runs through Oct. 26 at Brunswick Little Theatre's charming facility in Southport — truly, the venue is one of Southeastern North Carolina's gems — is a 2012 play by Lolita Chakrabarti based on the true story of Ira Aldridge, an American-born actor who, when he played the role of Othello in 1833, became the first Black person to appear on a London stage.

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