Charles Fuller facts for kids

Charles H. Fuller Jr. (born March 5, 1939 – died October 3, 2022) was an American writer. He was famous for writing plays. His most well-known play is A Soldier's Play. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1982 for this play. In 2020, the play also won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.

Early Life and Education

Charles Fuller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His birthday was March 5, 1939. His parents were Charles H. Fuller, Sr. and Lillian Anderson. He grew up in the Roman Catholic faith.

He went to Roman Catholic High School. Then he studied at Villanova University from 1956 to 1958. In 1959, he joined the U.S. Army. He served in Japan and South Korea. He left the army in 1962. Later, he studied at La Salle University from 1965 to 1967. He earned a special degree in Fine Arts. He also helped start the Afro-American Arts Theatre in Philadelphia.

Becoming a Writer

Charles Fuller decided to become a writer in high school. He noticed that his school library had no books by African-American authors. He wanted to change that.

He first gained attention in 1969. This was for his play called The Village: A Party. It was a drama about problems between people of different races. He later wrote plays for other theaters. These included the Henry Street Settlement theatre. He also wrote for the Negro Ensemble Company in New York City.

Plays About History and Justice

In 1975, Fuller wrote The Brownsville Raid. This play was based on a real event from 1906. It was about an argument between black soldiers and white people in Brownsville, Texas. This event led to a whole black army group being unfairly dismissed. They were later pardoned in 1976.

Fuller won an Obie Award in 1980 for his play Zooman and The Sign. This play is about a black teenager in Philadelphia. He kills a young girl on her porch. At first, the neighbors do not react. But the girl's father puts up a sign. He encourages everyone to stand up for justice. The play shows how a community can come together.

A Soldier's Play and Its Success

Fuller's most famous work is A Soldier's Play. It tells the story of a black captain. He is searching for the killer of a black sergeant. This happens on an army base in Louisiana in 1944. The play explores the challenges black people faced in white society.

Even though it was very popular, the play did not open on Broadway right away. Fuller refused to change a line in the play. This line was, "You'll have to get used to black people being in charge."

However, the play was a huge success with critics. Fuller won a Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for it. In 1984, it was made into a movie called A Soldier's Story. Fuller wrote the movie script himself. His script was nominated for several awards. These included an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He won an Edgar Award for it.

After this play, Fuller focused on writing for movies. He said he wanted his work to reach more people. He felt not enough people went to the theater.

Broadway Debut and Tony Award

In January 2020, A Soldier's Play finally opened on Broadway. It starred David Alan Grier and Blair Underwood. The play ran for 58 performances. It closed on March 11, 2020. This was because Broadway theaters shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even though it was its first time on Broadway, the play was eligible for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. The Tony committee called A Soldier's Play a classic. They also decided that Fuller should be included in the nomination. This meant Fuller won a Tony Award for his play. This happened almost 40 years after it was first performed.

Fuller wrote other plays after this. But they did not receive as much praise.

Fuller's Message

In 1982, Fuller spoke about his way of helping the African-American cause. He said his arguments were on the stage. He did not need to be angry all the time. He believed in putting his feelings into his plays. He felt that being angry without trying to change things was not helpful.

Other Works and Later Life

Charles Fuller received money grants from several groups. These included the Rockefeller Foundation and the Guggenheim Foundation. He also got grants from the State of New York and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Besides plays and screenplays, he wrote short stories. He also worked as a movie producer. In 2010, he published his first novel. It was a children's book called Snatch: The Adventures of David and Me. He wrote it for his two sons. He was a member of the Writers Guild of America, East.

Charles Fuller passed away on October 3, 2022. He was 83 years old. He died of natural causes in Toronto. He is survived by his wife, Claire Prieto, and his son, David Ira Fuller. He also left behind his step-son, Ian Kamau, and four grandchildren. He had three great-grandchildren as well.