Eric Burroughs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eric Burroughs
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| Born | November 6, 1911 |
| Died | November 12, 1992 (aged 81) The Bronx, New York City,
New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
Eric Burroughs (born November 6, 1911 – died November 12, 1992) was an American actor. He performed on stage and radio from the 1930s to the early 1960s. He was famous for his role in Voodoo Macbeth. This play was directed by Orson Welles and featured an all-Black cast. A famous radio producer, Norman Corwin, called him "the finest Black actor in radio."
Contents
Eric Burroughs's Life
Growing Up
Eric Burroughs was born in The Bronx, New York on November 6, 1911. His father, Charles Burroughs, worked for the postal service and enjoyed reading Shakespeare. His mother, Williana Burroughs, was a public school teacher in New York City. She was also involved in political activism.
After finishing high school at age 16 in the late 1920s, Eric got a small part in a play called Harlem. It ran for six months at the Apollo Theatre. However, his parents wanted him to have a professional career. They sent him to Germany to study political science.
Eric left the political science program after only two weeks. Instead, he joined the Kammerspiele School of the Theatre in Hamburg. This school was run by Erwin Piscator, a famous director known for "Epic Theater." This style of theater focused on social and political messages in plays. Eric acted in Piscator's play The Good Soldier Schweik and several Shakespeare plays, including The Merchant of Venice.
In 1930, Eric attended a theater conference in Hamburg. There, he met Tairoff, the director of the Kamerny Theatre in Moscow. Since his mother and brothers were already in the USSR, Eric accepted Tairoff's invitation to visit. He stayed in the USSR for six months. After returning to Germany, he started a career in theater and film. He stayed until 1933, shortly after Hitler came to power, then returned to New York.
Eric's German wife, Lotte Manshardt, followed him to New York. They tried to start their own theater company called Theater Mass, but it didn't work out. Lotte returned to Germany in 1935.
The "Voodoo Macbeth" Play
During the Great Depression, the government's Works Progress Administration (WPA) worked to help Black theater in America. As part of this effort, Eric Burroughs was chosen as a lead actor in a special play. This was the 1936 Federal Theatre Project production of Macbeth, directed by 20-year-old Orson Welles. The play featured an all-Black cast.
In this unique version, Eric played Hecate. Welles changed Hecate from a witch queen into a male Voodoo priest. Eric wore a cloak and used a 12-foot long bull whip for the role.
This staging of Voodoo Macbeth was very popular and received great reviews. The New York Times reported that when Eric delivered his final line, "The charm’s wound up!", the audience cheered for 15 minutes. This happened in the 1200-seat Lafayette Theatre. Eric's final line is also shown in a short WPA documentary film called We Work Again (1937).
Later Career
In 1938, Norman Corwin cast Eric Burroughs in his radio play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas. Eric played the Roman emperor Nero, who was sent by the Devil to try and stop Santa Claus. This play was also performed on radio in 1940 and 1944.
During the 1940s and 1950s, Eric worked a lot in radio. He also appeared on stage in plays like The Petrified Forest. He had a role in Eartha Kitt's production of Mrs. Patterson. Eric also had a small speaking part in the 1959 movie, Odds Against Tomorrow.
Eric Burroughs married Melissa Broome in 1950. They had two children together.
His Legacy
Eric Burroughs passed away on November 12, 1992. He was 81 years old. He died at the Bronx Veterans Administration Hospital.
See also
- Williana Burroughs
- Works Progress Administration
- Voodoo Macbeth
