Christopher Rawson
Encyclopedia
Christopher Rawson is an American
writer
and theater critic.
Rawson was born in Providence
, Rhode Island
. His biological father was noted stage actor Richard Hart
. His parents divorced shortly after he was born, and he was adopted by his stepfather, Jonathan Rawson.
. In 2009, he semi-retired, continuing as that paper's part-time senior theater critic. He also appears as the weekly critic for KDKA-TV
.
Rawson is active in several theater organizations, including the editorial board of Best Plays, the standard theater yearbook established in 1920 by Burns Mantle
. He is a trustee of the American Theatre Hall of Fame
, for which he helps supervise the annual balloting for the selection of new inductees. He has long been active in the American Theatre Critics Association, which he has twice served as chair (1991-93 and 2007- ) and for which he organized conferences in London, at the O'Neill Theater Center, and at Canada's Shaw
and Stratford
Festivals.
Since 1968, Rawson has been a member of the English faculty at the University of Pittsburgh
, where he has taught courses primarily in satire, Shakespeare, critical writing, Irish drama, and the work of playwright August Wilson
. Rawson's B.A. is from Harvard University
and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington at Seattle
.
In 1999, he wrote Where Stone Walls Meet the Sea, a 600-page centennial history of the Donald Ross-designed Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, Rhode Island
and of the summer colony of which it is a part. Rawson's new book August Wilson's Pittsburgh will be published in 2011 by the University of Pittsburgh Press
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and theater critic.
Rawson was born in Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. His biological father was noted stage actor Richard Hart
Richard Hart (actor)
Richard Comstock Hart was an American actor. Hart appeared in film and on TV, but his chief love was the stage....
. His parents divorced shortly after he was born, and he was adopted by his stepfather, Jonathan Rawson.
Biography
Rawson's main discipline is as a theater critic. From 1983 to 2009, he was full-time theater critic and theater editor at the Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
. In 2009, he semi-retired, continuing as that paper's part-time senior theater critic. He also appears as the weekly critic for KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV
KDKA-TV, channel 2, is an owned and operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. KDKA-TV broadcasts from a transmitter located in the Perry North neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and its studios are located in downtown Pittsburgh at Gateway Center....
.
Rawson is active in several theater organizations, including the editorial board of Best Plays, the standard theater yearbook established in 1920 by Burns Mantle
Burns Mantle
Robert Burns Mantle was a well-known American drama critic. He founded the Best Plays annual publication in 1920.. , The New York Times...
. He is a trustee of the American Theatre Hall of Fame
American Theatre Hall of Fame
The American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the Executive Committee. In an announcement at a luncheon meeting on March 1972, he said that the new Theater Hall of Fame would be located in the Uris Theatre . James M...
, for which he helps supervise the annual balloting for the selection of new inductees. He has long been active in the American Theatre Critics Association, which he has twice served as chair (1991-93 and 2007- ) and for which he organized conferences in London, at the O'Neill Theater Center, and at Canada's Shaw
Shaw Festival
The Shaw Festival is a major Canadian theatre festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, the second largest repertory theatre company in North America...
and Stratford
Stratford Festival of Canada
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is an internationally recognized annual celebration of theatre running from April to November in the Canadian city of Stratford, Ontario...
Festivals.
Since 1968, Rawson has been a member of the English faculty at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where he has taught courses primarily in satire, Shakespeare, critical writing, Irish drama, and the work of playwright August Wilson
August Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
. Rawson's B.A. is from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington at Seattle
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
In 1999, he wrote Where Stone Walls Meet the Sea, a 600-page centennial history of the Donald Ross-designed Sakonnet Golf Club in Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton, Rhode Island
Little Compton is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. Its population was 3,492 at the time of the 2010 census. Little Compton is located in southeastern Rhode Island, between the Sakonnet River and the Massachusetts state border...
and of the summer colony of which it is a part. Rawson's new book August Wilson's Pittsburgh will be published in 2011 by the University of Pittsburgh Press
University of Pittsburgh Press
The University of Pittsburgh Press is a scholarly publishing house and a major American university press, part of the University of Pittsburgh. The university and the press are located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States....
.