May 27, 2025
David Shakes ’85: Starring as Frederick Douglass
David Shakes has shared a stage with the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, Ossie Davis, and Josh Brolin. But his most constant companion on the stage has been Frederick Douglass, the celebrated Civil Rights leader of the 19th century.
As a historical interpreter, Shakes brings Douglass to life. This year, he will be back on stage performing as Douglass at the Genesee Valley Country Museum in Mumford, NY, on Saturday and Sunday, June 18 and 19, in commemoration of Juneteenth. He will do the same on July 4.
Shakes says he has always admired Douglass, especially his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” which he delivered at the Corinthian Hall in Rochester, NY, on July 5, 1852.
“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine,” Douglass told the audience that day. “You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
And yet, he went on to praise the Founding Fathers. “Fellow Citizens, I am not wanting in respect for the fathers of this republic,” Douglass said. “The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. They were great men, too, great enough to give frame to a great age. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men.”
Shakes describes himself as a great admirer of Douglass. “I reviewed his Fourth of July speech and fell in love with that,” he says. “I admired his chutzpah to speak truth to power.”
A Lifetime of Theater
Shakes grew up in Brooklyn, where he began acting by scaring his younger brother. “He was afraid of the dark, and I would pretend I was dying,” Shakes recalls. “I would put my hands under the sheets and make little moves and sounds.”
As a child, he loved watching movies and television, especially shows like “The Lone Ranger,” “The Gene Autry Show,” and the weekly “Million Dollar Movie” series. But he didn’t just watch the drama. He studied the actors and counted Robert Earl Jones, Anthony Quinn, Kirk Douglas, and Paul Newman, among his favorites.
“I was always fascinated by emotions and interpreting emotions of people and bringing to life what’s written on the page,” he says. “I love all the varying shades and colors you can present as you interpret those words.”
As a young adult, Shakes joined the Black Arts Movement in New York City and helped found the Spirit House Movers and Players, a theatre company based in Harlem that presented dramatic and poetic works around the country.
In 1976, he moved back to Rochester, where he worked at the Lewis Center as a counselor and did community theater. At his wife’s encouragement, Shakes decided to get a bachelor’s from Empire State University, graduating in 1985 with a degree in cultural studies.
He went on to get his MSW from Syracuse University and became a social worker for the Rochester City School District. He retired from the school district in 2011.
For over 48 years, Shakes has been fully devoted to doing theater in Rochester, as an actor, director, and producer. He is currently the artistic director of the North Star Players, a theater troupe that celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. He’s also the artist-in-residence at the Multi-use Cultural Community Center and a long-time voting member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Bringing Douglass to Life
Shakes did his first Douglass performance in 1982. His mother knew it had sparked a passion in her son and bought him tuxedo trousers made in the mid-19th century. “I said ‘Mom, ‘Why are you giving me this?’” Shakes recalls. “She said ‘You’re going to need this quite a bit.” He still wears the trousers to this day.
Audiences enjoyed his Douglass performances and soon, Shakes was getting invitations from museums, libraries, and festivals. He also began coaching students who compete in national Frederick Douglass oratorical contests; so far, two of his students have won.
No matter how many times he appears as Douglass, Shakes always finds new material by continuing to read and study the abolitionist’s writings. His goal is to not just read the words but to become the famous orator.
“One of the things I marvel at is how relevant the words of Douglass from the 19th century still are now,” Shakes says. “You could be reading it as if it was someone making commentary today. The truth rings out.”