Louis S. Peterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis S. Peterson
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| Born | Louis Stamford Peterson 17 June 1922 Hartford, Connecticut, USA |
| Died | April 27, 1998 (aged 75) New York, New York, USA |
| Occupation | Playwright, screenwriter |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse |
Peggy Feury
(m. 1952; div. 1961) |
Louis Stamford Peterson (born June 17, 1922 – died April 27, 1998) was an American writer, actor, and teacher. He was a playwright, which means he wrote plays for the theater. He was the first African-American playwright to have a play shown on Broadway. Broadway is a famous theater district in New York City. He was also one of the first African-American writers to be nominated for an Emmy Award, which is a big award for TV shows.
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About Louis S. Peterson
Louis Stamford Peterson was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on June 17, 1922. His parents, Louis Peterson Sr. and Ruth Conover Peterson, both worked in banking. He grew up in Hartford and finished Bulkeley High School in 1940.
Peterson first wanted to study music. But he later changed his mind and earned a degree in English from Morehouse College in 1944. While in college, he became very interested in theater and acted in plays. He continued his studies at Yale University and earned a master's degree in drama from New York University in 1947.
In New York, Peterson acted in plays that were shown Off-Broadway, which are smaller theaters than Broadway. He also learned acting from famous teachers like Sanford Meisner. He studied playwriting and worked closely with another playwright, Clifford Odets. Peterson wrote his first play, Take a Giant Step, while he was traveling as an actor.
In 1952, he married Peggy Feury. Their marriage ended in 1961. After this, Peterson wrote a play called Entertain a Ghost. It was about a playwright and an actress, and some people thought it was similar to his own life.
Take a Giant Step Play
A very important moment in Peterson's career was when his first full-length play, Take a Giant Step, opened on Broadway in 1953. The play was first shown in Hartford, Connecticut, before moving to Broadway. A famous actress named Helen Hayes helped make sure the play was produced.
When it opened at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway, critics loved it. The play tells the story of a black teenager growing up in a neighborhood where most people are white. A 17-year-old actor named Louis Gossett Jr. starred in the play. Take a Giant Step ran for eight weeks on Broadway. The New York Times newspaper even called it one of the top ten plays of that season. Later, in 1956, the play was shown again Off-Broadway for a long time, with actor Godfrey Cambridge in a role.
An article in Jump Cut magazine in 1991 talked about how important Peterson's play and movie, Take a Giant Step, were. The article explained how his work helped break down barriers and was a pioneering piece of art.
Take a Giant Step was on Broadway from September 24 to November 28, 1953. John Stix directed it, and Ruth Morley designed the costumes. The cast included Louis Gossett Jr. as Spencer, Estelle Hemsley as the grandmother, and Maxine Sullivan as Christine.
The play also opened Off-Broadway on September 25, 1956, and ran until May 12, 1957. This cast included Godfrey Cambridge, Frances Foster, Bill Gunn, and Rosetta LeNoire.
In the movie version of Take a Giant Step, the famous actor Burt Lancaster was an executive producer. The main character, Spencer Scott, was played by Johnny Nash, a popular singer. Ruby Dee played Christine, and Spencer Scott's father was played by Frederick O'Neal. O'Neal also helped start the American Negro Theatre.
The story is about a black teenager named Spencer who lives in a white neighborhood. His white teacher says that black slaves were "too lazy" to fight for their freedom. Spencer disagrees strongly and is kicked out of school. When his father supports the teacher, Spencer feels very confused and hurt.
Story of Take a Giant Step
Spencer Scott, a 17-year-old black student, comes home from his mostly white high school. He tells his grandmother and the housekeeper, Christine, that he has been expelled. He explains that his teacher, Miss Bailey, said that black people during the Civil War were "backwards" and needed white people's help to gain freedom. Spencer got angry and left school. His grandmother thinks he should not have done that.
Later, Spencer's white classmates visit his house. He complains that they didn't support him. They tell him he won't be invited to a party because he is black. Spencer gets very angry and tells them to leave. His grandmother tries to comfort him, but she uses a mean word for other groups of people, which also makes Spencer angry. Spencer packs a bag, planning to leave his neighborhood.
He goes to a different neighborhood and meets some new people. He talks with a young woman named Carol. This experience makes Spencer think about his life.
Back at home, Spencer's parents are upset. His father, Lem, is very angry about Spencer leaving. When Spencer returns, his parents want him to apologize to his teacher, but he refuses. Lem tells Spencer that he also faces racism at his job but puts up with it. Spencer argues that they should not just accept unfair treatment. His grandmother supports Spencer in the argument, but then she falls ill and dies. Spencer is very sad.
Later, Christine the housekeeper tells Spencer about her own difficult teenage years. Spencer's mother decides to let Christine go because they no longer need her help. Spencer's mother then invites his classmates over for cake.
Spencer is furious and runs after Christine. He tells her, "I hate being black." Christine calms him down. Spencer goes back home to find his parents having an awkward conversation with his classmates. Spencer then makes the situation better by announcing that since he's going to college soon, this gathering is his farewell party. Later, Spencer tells his mother that he needs to understand that his friendships with white people might have limits. Spencer and his mother hug.
Other Works and Teaching
Louis S. Peterson continued to write scripts for TV and movies. In 1954, he wrote an episode of the TV show Danger called "Padlocks," which starred James Dean. In 1956, he wrote "Joey," an episode for the Goodyear Playhouse that starred Anthony Perkins. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his script "Joey" in 1957.
Peterson also wrote movie screenplays and was the first African-American screenwriter in Hollywood. In the 1960s, he moved from Hollywood back to New York. His plays from the 1960s and 1970s often had complex stories. His play Entertain a Ghost opened in 1962. It was a play with two storylines and explored relationships, focusing on a playwright and his wife who wanted to be an actress.
In 1972, he started teaching in the theater department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. While teaching, he wrote a screenplay called The Confessions of Nat Turner. His 1979 play Crazy Horse was about relationships between people of different races.
Peterson received several awards for his work. He won the Benjamin Brawley Award for Excellence in English in 1944. Take a Giant Step was named one of the best plays of 1953–54. He was also inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1975. Peterson retired from teaching in 1993 but kept writing. He passed away from lung cancer in New York City on April 27, 1998.
