Shauneille Perry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shauneille Perry
Born	Shauneille Gantt Perry (1929-07-26)July 26, 1929 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	June 9, 2022(2022-06-09) (aged 92) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Education	Howard University (BFA) Art Institute of Chicago (MFA) London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation	Theatre director, playwright, actor
Years active	1950s–2022
Spouse(s)	Donald P. Ryder ​ ​ (m. 1957; died 2021)​

Shauneille Gantt Perry Ryder (born July 26, 1929 – died June 9, 2022) was an American theatre director and writer. She was also an actress. Shauneille Perry was one of the first African-American women to direct plays in New York City's Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Broadway plays are professional shows performed in smaller theatres, often known for being more experimental.

Shauneille Perry's Life Story

Shauneille Perry was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 26, 1929. She grew up in a well-known African-American family. Her father, Graham T. Perry, was one of the first African-American assistant attorneys-general for Illinois. Her mother, Pearl Gantt, was one of the first African-American court reporters in Chicago. Shauneille was also the cousin of the famous playwright Lorraine Hansberry. She often met inspiring people like Mary McLeod Bethune and Edith S. Sampson through her family.

Perry went to Marshall High School in Chicago. She first wanted to be a journalist. She admired women like Margaret Bourke-White who were journalists. She decided to attend a historically Black college. She chose Howard University (1946-1950). Even though they didn't have journalism, she found her way to the theatre department. She loved being in plays and felt comfortable there.

While at Howard, she was part of the Howard Players theatre group. She worked with Professor Owen Dodson and other students like Roxie Roker and Toni Morrison. In 1949, she toured Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Germany with the Howard Players. They performed plays like Mamba's Daughters and The Wild Duck. The tour was a big success. Eleanor Roosevelt even saw them off on their ship!

Shauneille Perry in 1950.

In 1950, Shauneille earned her degree in drama from Howard. She then studied at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago (1950-1952). There, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing. Her final project was directing the play Death of a Salesman.

After college, Perry taught theatre at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Dillard University. In 1954, she received a Fulbright Scholarship. This allowed her to study classical theatre in London. She first went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but then moved to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

When she returned to the U.S., she worked as a writer for The Chicago Defender newspaper. She wrote feature stories about people and theatre.

In 1957, Shauneille married architect Donald Ryder. They later moved to New York City.

Becoming a Director and Writer

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Shauneille Perry acted in many plays in New York City. She appeared in shows like The Goose and Dark of the Moon. In Dark of the Moon, she acted alongside famous actors like James Earl Jones. Critics praised her acting, especially in the play Clandestine on the Morning Line.

Even with her acting success, Perry decided to focus on directing and writing. She found acting too slow. She began directing at the Negro Ensemble Company and other Black theatre companies. After Vinnette Justine Carroll, Shauneille Perry became one of the first African-American women to direct plays in New York.

One of her early directing jobs was Mau Mau Room in 1969. In 1971, she directed several plays, including Rosalie Pritchett and The Sty of the Blind Pig.

Her most famous directing work was the play Black Girl by J. E. Franklin. Perry's direction of Black Girl was highly praised. It showed the importance of religion in the lives of Southern Black women. The play was very popular and received standing ovations. It moved to a bigger theatre and then toured other cities. It was even made into a movie in 1972!

Perry also directed the musical Prodigal Sister in 1974. She worked with J. E. Franklin and Micki Grant on this show.

Besides directing, Shauneille Perry wrote several plays. These included the children's musical Mio (1971), Last Night, Night Before (1971), and Things of the Heart: Marian Anderson's Story (1981). She also wrote "Sounds of the City," a daily radio show in the mid-1970s.

Perry also taught at several colleges. She was a professor at City College of New York, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and Queens College. In 1986, she became the Director of Theatre at Lehman College. She taught there as a professor until she retired in 2001.

Family Connections

Shauneille Perry and her cousin Lorraine Hansberry were very close friends. They were born less than a year apart. When they were young, their aunt showed them the Kentucky hills where their grandfather, George Perry, had hidden after escaping slavery.

Later, Shauneille supported Lorraine when she was sick with cancer. Lorraine even named Shauneille to help manage her estate.

The famous musician Lenny Kravitz considered Shauneille Perry like an aunt. In his book, he wrote that her home was a "cultural mecca." This means it was a very important place for Black artists and thinkers. People like poet Nikki Giovanni and writer Toni Morrison (who went to college with Shauneille) would visit. Shauneille's living room was a hub for creativity and discussions.

Shauneille Perry passed away on June 9, 2022, at the age of 92.

Selected Theatre Work

Directing

Writing

Acting

Selected Television and Film Work

Television Writing

Film Acting

Awards and Recognition

• 1974: AUDELCO Award, Best Director
• 1985: AUDELCO Award, Best Director
• 2019: Lloyd Richards Director's Award, National Black Theater Festival

Shauneille Perry also received a Broadcast Media Award, a Fulbright scholarship, and other honors for her work in theatre and arts.

Images for kids

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  Shauneille Perry at the Fieldston School in 1966