Louis S. Peterson
Encyclopedia
Louis S. Peterson was an American
playwright
, who was the first African American playwright to have a dramatic play produced on Broadway
. He was also one of the first African American writers to be nominated for an Emmy Award.
In 1953, his play Take a Giant Step
was produced on Broadway
. Seventy investors contributed to the $75,000 production. While critics praised the writing, acting and direction of the play, it received no rave reviews. Without major support from critics and with no major stars (a then unknown Louis Gossett, Jr.
played the lead role) it struggled to make its $14,000 weekly operating costs and closed after only 77 performances.
Peterson began to find work in television. His first television script, the "Padlock" episode of the series Danger
, aired on November 2, 1954.
He received an Emmy Award nomination for the "Joey" episode of the Goodyear Playhouse in 1957.
He died of lung cancer
on April 27, 1998.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, who was the first African American playwright to have a dramatic play produced on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. He was also one of the first African American writers to be nominated for an Emmy Award.
Biography
Louis Stamford Peterson was born in Hartford, Connecticut on June 17, 1922.In 1953, his play Take a Giant Step
Take a Giant Step
Take a Giant Step is a coming-of-age drama film, directed by Philip Leacock about a black teenager living in a predominantly white environment and having trouble coping as he reaches an age at which the realities of racism are beginning to affect his life more directly and pointedly than they had...
was produced on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. Seventy investors contributed to the $75,000 production. While critics praised the writing, acting and direction of the play, it received no rave reviews. Without major support from critics and with no major stars (a then unknown Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Gossett, Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett, Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman and Fiddler in the 1970s television miniseries Roots...
played the lead role) it struggled to make its $14,000 weekly operating costs and closed after only 77 performances.
Peterson began to find work in television. His first television script, the "Padlock" episode of the series Danger
Danger (TV series)
Danger is an anthology series which brought half hour-long dramas to television from 1950 to 1955.-Television:It first aired on September 19, 1950 on CBS. The first episode, entitled "The Black Door", was directed by Yul Brynner with a story by Henry Norton and a teleplay by Irving Elman. It...
, aired on November 2, 1954.
He received an Emmy Award nomination for the "Joey" episode of the Goodyear Playhouse in 1957.
He died of lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
on April 27, 1998.