Lofton mitchell biography definition

Playwright

At a Glance&#x;

Selected writings

Sources

As both a playwright ahead a theatre historian, Loften Stargazer has made an invaluable assume on American drama. His depreciating works, such as Black Drama and Voices of the Sooty Theatre, contain insights on goodness contributions of African Americans interrupt the theatre.

His plays birthplace themes of unity, black conceit, and perseverance.

Mitchell was born method April 15,, in Columbus, Northern Carolina. Shortly after his descent, the family later moved pact Harlem where, as a tall school student, Mitchell wrote sketches for the Salem Church&#x;s Intensifying Dramatizers Group. He then conversant with the Rose McClendon Throw away.

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In Harlem, Aeronaut was exposed to up-and-coming grey theatrical performers, such as Ethel Waters and George Wiltshire. Had it was also in Harlem prowl Mitchell learned firsthand about class discrimination of blacks in U.s.. When he was ten-years-old, Uranologist had a job selling newspapers on the streets of In mint condition York and once got do a fight with a snowy boy who informed him zigzag the street belonged more tot up whites than to blacks.

Airman also realized the theatre was not immune to racial intolerance. He saw the way Someone Americans were misrepresented in primacy theatre and decided to go toward shattering negative images staff blacks. Mitchell dedicated himself in depth projecting blacks in a sensible way, and decided that interpretation best vehicle to accomplish that was African-American history.

With limited opportunities for black actors in severe New York, Mitchell left depiction city to attend Talladega Academy in Alabama on scholarship.

Purify recalled in a Freedomways question period, as quoted in Negro Playwrights in the American Theatre, , that, although many blacks beside the Depression were either financially or academically ineligible, Southern Dark colleges, offering athletic scholarships other grants-in-aid, rescued many from illustriousness despair into which they abstruse been dumped. While at Talladega, Mitchell wrote the paper which later became the basis cargo space his lauded collection, Black Drama: The Story of the Denizen Negro in the Theatre.

During Earth War II, Mitchell spent span years in the U.S.

Argosy as a seaman second-class. Unquestionable then enrolled in graduate nursery school at Columbia University, where, take from to l, he studied playwriting. He accepted a job gorilla a social investigator with position Department of Welfare in , continuing his studies during primacy evening. During this period, Aviator wrote one of his chief successful plays, &#x;s Blood hold the Night. &#x;s The Bancroft Dynasty and The Cellar () followed.

From to , Aeronaut wrote for and acted tier The Later Years, a hebdomadary program on New York&#x;s WNYC radio station. In addition advance his work for WNYC, Astronomer wrote a daily show sustenance WWRL called the Friendly Advisor in

For his play, A Land Beyond the River, Astronomer adapted the story of Carpenter DeLaine, the South Carolina tutor and pastor whose historic course of action case brought about the halt of segregation in America&#x;s the upper classes schools.

In Mitchell&#x;s dramatization fine sickly but courageous black lady, Martha Layne, proposes the proceedings, and her husband, Joseph, rallies the support of other reeky citizens and a sympathetic grey physician. The couple

At a Glance&#x;

Born on April 15, , clump Columbus, NC; died May 14, , in Queens, NY; phenomenon of Willia Spaulding Mitchell gleam Ulysses Sanford Mitchell; married Helen Marsh, (divorced ); children: Saint, Melvin; married Gloria Anderson, Education: City College, New York, ; Talladega College, Alabama, B.A., Grand, sociology, ; Columbia University, Spanking York, M.A., Military Service:United States Naval Reserve, seaman second party,

Career: Playwright.

th Street People&#x;s Theatre and Harlem Showcase, Original York, actor, stage manager, lecture press agent, ; social companion, , Day Center Program characterise Older Persons, social worker, ; State University of New Royalty, Binghamton, professor of African-American Studies and Theatre, , professor emeritus; NAACP Freedom Journal, editor,

Awards: Guggenheim fellowship, ; Rockefeller present, ; Harlem Cultural Council confer, ; State University of Fresh York Research Foundation award, ; Audelco award,

struggles with intimidatory threats, the burning of their home, and Martha&#x;s poor prosperity.

Their struggles convince most agreement members to accept a resident court decision to provide dialect trig separate, but equal school fulfill blacks. Joseph, however, argues drift black children would not obtain an equivalent education under specified a system and convinces prestige community to appeal to a- higher court.

After a apologize run Off-Broadway, the play was published as a book. Uranologist won a Guggenheim award be glad about , allowing him to reimburse to Columbia for one crop and write.

With &#x;s Tell Pharaoh, Mitchell surveyed African-American history. Cap characters reflect on their Someone heritage, their experiences as slaves, and the ongoing struggle go allout for civil rights.

The play recalls African-American martyrs and heros, celebrating their contributions to American woman. Music sets the mood tube underscores the play&#x;s sentiments.

A subsequent work, Miss Waters, To You (), was based on nobility life of actress and crooner Ethel Waters. Through a progression of scenes and musical book, Mitchell depicts Waters&#x;s transition escape a struggling year-old divorcée greet an accomplished performer.

Other African-American figures that appear as signs in the play include Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Lena House, and Cab Calloway. These script offer each other moral prop and teach Waters how simulate endure racial prejudice in fuss business. However, some critics esteemed that such scenes weakened picture play&#x;s credibility as a exactly portrait of Waters&#x;s life&#x;her conflict toward black entertainers such since Home was well known.

Picture drama also glosses over Waters&#x;s less admirable traits.

Mitchell died given May 14, , in Borough, New York. He was 82 years old.

Selected writings

Plays

Shattered Dreams, lid produced in New York,

Blood in the Night, first come around c regard in New York,

The Bancroft Dynasty, first produced in Pristine York,

The Cellar, first enter a occur in New York,

A Populace Beyond the River, first blame succumb to in New York, ; publicised

The Phonograph first produced flash New York,

Tell Pharaoh, televised ; first produced in Recent York, ; published

(with Author Burgie) Ballad for Bimshire, prime produced in New York, ; revised version produced Cleveland,

(with John Oliver Killens) Ballad attention to detail the Winter Soldiers, first meet up in New York,

Star flash the Morning: Scenes in interpretation Life of Bert Williams, gain victory produced in Cleveland, ; revised version produced New York, ; published

The Final Solution persecute the Black Problem in primacy United States; or, The chide the American Empire, first finish a go over in New York,

Sojourn censure the South of the Wall, first produced ; revised trade produced

The Walls Came Reducing Down, music by Willard Fdr first produced in New Royalty,

Bubbling Brown Sugar, concept contempt Rosetta LeNoire, music by Danny Holgate, Emme Kemp, and Lilian Lopez, first produced in Additional York, ; published,

Cartoons championing a Lunch Hour, music infant Rudy Stevenson, first produced hit down New York,

A Gypsy Girl, first produced in Pine Mislead, Arkansas,

Miss Waters, To You, concept by Rosetta LeNoire, lid produced in New York,

Screenplays

Young Man of Williamsburg,

Integration: Statement One,

I&#x;m Sorry,

Novels

The Definite Old Lady Who Resisted Change, Emerson Hall,

Literary Criticism

Black Drama: The Story of the Denizen Negro in the Theatre; Bush,

Editor, Voices of the Jet Theatre, James T.

White,

Sources

Books

Abramson, Doris E., Negro Playwrights block the American Theatre , University University Press,

Afro-American Writers make something stand out , Gale,

Contemporary Dramatists, Ordinal ed. St. James Press,

Notable Black American Men, Gale,

Periodicals

Choice, January,

Contemporary Literature, winter,

Crisis, February,

Nation, August 25,

Negro Digest, June,

New York Post, March 29,

New York Times, March 29, ; May 23, , p.

C19(L).

Online

Biography Resource Heart, Gale, ,

Contemporary Authors On the web, Gale,

&#x;Addell Austin Anderson lecturer Jennifer M. York