As part of the many protests that have been going on to give Black people more recognition in the US, Black actors have been petitioning for more recognition and representation in Broadway spaces - and the Shubert organization is now finally responding to that plea.

The Shubert organization will rename one of its seventeen theatres after James Earl Jones, the actor most commonly known for playing Darth Vader in Star Wars, and Mufasa in The Lion King. Jones is a renowned and talented actor, not just on screen, but also onstage - the 91-year-old man has two Tony Awards and 21 Broadway shows under his belt.

Jones told the New York Times about the honor:

"It means a lot. It's too heavy for me to try to define."

This move that is part of an agreement they made with Black Theater United, an advocacy organization.The agreement also served to establish diversity rules at the Tony Awards, to abolish all-white production teams, and to require racial sensitivity coaches for some shows, among other things.

According to Robert E. Wankel, chairman and chief executive of the Shubert Organization, Jones was an obvious choice for the name:

"He's an icon - he really is one of the greatest American actors, and this is just a perfect match."

The theater in quesiton that is being renamed was previously known as the Cort Theatre; It's a 110-year-old landmark playhouse on West 48th Street, and has the footprints of many a legendary actor - like Katharine Hepburn and Uta Hagen - walk on its stage. The theater was originally named after producer John Cort (who was a producer so long ago they were still called impresarios.)

Now all we need is a voiceover from James Earl Jones before every show that plays there telling people to silence their phones.

Tags: James Earl Jones