Paul Carter Harrison facts for kids

Paul Carter Harrison (March 1, 1936 – December 27, 2021) was an American playwright and professor. He was famous for his plays and his writings about theater. One of his most well-known plays, The Great MacDaddy, even won an Obie Award! From 1962 to 1982, he helped create or direct many plays and movies in America and the Netherlands.

Paul Harrison's Early Life

Paul Carter Harrison was an African American born on March 1, 1936. His parents, Thelma Inez and Paul Randolph Harrison, were from North and South Carolina but grew up in New York City. Paul's brother, Kenneth Allen Harrison, was the first Black basketball player to get a scholarship at Villanova University.

Paul went to Commerce High School and finished in 1952. When he attended New York University, he met many writers and theater artists. Some of these included Lou Gossett, Jr., Billy Dee Williams, and Amiri Baraka. Later, he moved to Indiana University. There, he met musicians like Freddie Hubbard, Larry Ridley, and David Baker.

His Journey in Education and Theater

Paul Harrison was born in New York City. He earned his first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Indiana University in 1957. Later, in 1962, he earned a Master of Arts degree from New York City's New School for Social Research. This degree focused on psychology and a way of thinking called phenomenology, which studies how we experience things.

After his studies, Harrison moved to Europe. He spent seven years in Spain and the Netherlands, focusing on his writing and theater work. From 1960 to 1967, he lived in Amsterdam. While there, he wrote a movie called "Stranger On The Square." He also published his first book of essays, "The Modern Drama Footnote," and two plays, "Pavane for a Deadpan Minstrel" and "Tophat." Other plays he wrote and directed in the Netherlands included "The Post Clerks" and "The Experimental Leader." This last play became important for his book, "A Rebel's Dialogue."

While living in Amsterdam, Harrison married a Dutch actress named Ria Vroemen. They had a daughter named Fonteyn in 1963.

Teaching and Directing

Paul Harrison taught theater at Howard University from 1968 to 1970. Some of his students became famous, like Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen, Linda Goss, and Pearl Cleage.

From 1970 to 1972, he taught at California State University, Sacramento. During this time, he helped create and directed Melvin Van Peebles' play "Ain't Supposed To Die a Natural Death" before it went to Broadway. He also wrote his famous play The Great MacDaddy. The Negro Ensemble Company produced this play in 1973, and it won an Obie Award.

Harrison then taught at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1972 to 1976. In 1976, he moved to Columbia College Chicago. There, he became the Chair and a Professor in the Theatre Department. He also worked as a Writer in Residence until he retired in 2002. After retiring, he was known as Professor Emeritus.

Paul Carter Harrison passed away on December 27, 2021, at the age of 85. He was living in a retirement home in Atlanta.

Paul Harrison's Achievements

On August 6, 1988, Paul Carter Harrison married Wanda Malone. Paul Harrison's plays and ideas about theater were published and performed in both Europe and the United States. He won several awards for his work. His play "Great Macdaddy" won an Obie Award, and "Tabernacle" won the Audelco Award for Best Creative Musical.

He also wrote and edited many other plays, collections of writings, and books about theater and jazz music. One important book he wrote is "The Drama of Nommo." This book is a collection of essays that explain how African traditions influenced African American culture and theater. It has helped many directors in Black Theater. Harrison is known for creating terms like "Nommo" and "Mother/Word" to describe important ideas in Black Theater.

His last book, "Black Theatre: Ritual Performance in the African Diaspora," was published in 2002. His final big project was writing the story for "Doxology Opera: the Doxy Canticles." This was a full opera with music by Wendell Logan. It was performed for the first time in 2002 at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. He also wrote the words for a shorter opera called "Goree Crossing," with music by Olu Dara. This was performed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

As a Dramaturg (someone who helps with the story and research of a play) for the ETA Theatre in Chicago, Harrison helped develop Marcia Leslie's successful play, "The Trial of One Short-sighted Black Woman vs Mammie Louise and Safreeta Mae." His last idea and direction was for "Sweet Thunder: the Billie Strayhorn Story." This play was performed at the Phoenix Black Theatre Troupe and the Kuntu Repertory Theatre in Pittsburgh.

Paul Carter Harrison lived in New York City and continued to travel to Spain every year with his daughter.