Harold Scott (director) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harold Scott
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Scott as Brutus in the Riverside Shakespeare Company production of Caesar, The Shakespeare Center, 1984
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| Born | 6 September 1935 |
| Died | 16 July 2006 |
Harold Russell Scott Jr. (born September 6, 1935 – died July 16, 2006) was an American stage director, actor, and teacher. He was important because he helped break down racial barriers in American theater.
Scott first became well-known as a powerful stage actor. Later, he became a creative director for many plays across the country. He worked on Broadway and at regional theaters. He was the first African-American artistic director at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. This was a big step for diversity in American theater.
Harold Scott's Early Life and Career
Harold Scott was born in Morristown, New Jersey. His father was a doctor, and his mother was a homemaker. Scott went to Phillips Exeter Academy and then to Harvard University.
He started his career as a talented actor. He performed in plays like Jean Genet's The Blacks. He also won an Obie Award in 1959 for his acting in Jean Genet's Deathwatch. Scott also acted on Broadway in a play called The Cool World.
Scott was chosen by famous director Elia Kazan to join the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center. There, he acted in plays by well-known writers like Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill. In 1984, Scott played Brutus in a modern version of Shakespeare's Caesar.
Directing and Teaching Theater
Harold Scott directed many new and exciting plays. He directed Morgan Freeman in The Mighty Gents on Broadway in 1978. He also directed Avery Brooks in Paul Robeson on Broadway two times.
Scott directed the 25th anniversary show of A Raisin in the Sun. This play was very popular in New York and Washington, D.C. Scott's direction won nine National Theater Awards from the NAACP. He won for best director. This production was even filmed for public television.
Scott also taught theater. He was in charge of the directing program at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. This school is part of Rutgers University in New Jersey.
He also taught acting classes at The Peterborough Players in New Hampshire. He was a beloved teacher there. His students remembered his deep and caring personality. He also acted in plays there, like Much Ado About Nothing. He worked at The Peterborough Players for many years. He was a Staff Director, Associate Director, and even Acting Artistic Director.
In 2006, Scott directed his last play, Yellowman. This play looked at prejudice within the Black community. He directed it at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. He had been the artistic director there starting in 1973. He was the first African-American to hold such a position at a major regional theater.
