Theodore Ward
Theodore Ward was an influential African American playwright, born on September 15, 1902, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. After the death of his mother at a young age, he left Louisiana and traveled across the United States, working various manual jobs before returning to education in the late 1920s. Ward studied at the University of Utah and later received further education at the University of Wisconsin. He gained recognition during the Great Depression, working under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and becoming involved with the Negro Playwrights Company in New York.
His most notable work, "Big White Fog," premiered in 1938 and addressed themes of racial pride and social equality, though it faced controversy due to its leftist political tones. Despite his talent, Ward's career was hindered by a lack of support for African American theater, leading to many of his plays being overlooked or receiving short runs. After World War II, he successfully had "Our Lan'" produced in New York, solidifying his status as one of the few prominent African American playwrights of his time. Ward passed away in Chicago on May 8, 1983, leaving behind a legacy that highlighted the complexities of African American life through thought-provoking and often controversial narratives. His contributions to theater earned him numerous accolades, though he remains an underappreciated figure in the history of American drama.
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Theodore Ward
Playwright
- Born: September 15, 1902
- Birthplace: Thibodaux, Louisiana
- Died: May 8, 1983
- Place of death: Chicago, Illinois
Biography
Theodore Ward was born September 15, 1902, in Thibodaux, Louisiana. His father, Everett Ward, was a book salesman and a schoolteacher, and his mother, Mary Louise (Pierre) Ward, was a homemaker. Ward’s mother died when he was thirteen. Shortly after her death, Ward left Louisiana.
As a teenager, Ward traversed the United States, working as a bootblack, porter, and bellhop. He continued these manual jobs until he returned to school in the late 1920’s. Ward began his formal literary education at the University of Utah, where he received his B.A. in 1930. He earned a scholarship in 1931 that allowed him to further his education at the University of Wisconsin from 1931 to 1933.
On June 15, 1940, Ward married Mary Sangigian. The couple had two children, Elsie Virginia and Laura Louise.
Ward’s playwriting focused on themes affecting African Americans, without recreating the stereotypical scenes frequently found in African American plays. Ward was gaining notoriety as the Great Depression was strengthening, and Ward found employment under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) from 1934 to 1939. While working with the WPA, Ward joined the Negro Playwrights Company in New York and befriended fellow writer Langston Hughes. The company produced Ward’s Big White Fog which was applauded by some and offended others with its overtly leftist political tones. Set in Chicago during the 1920’s and 1930’s, the play follows the Mason family through their financial hardships and racial confrontations. The patriarch, Victor, installs a sense of racial pride among his family, while striving to achieve economic and social equality. As he lay dying from a gunshot wound inflicted by a sheriff evicting them from their home, Victor realizes multiracial communism is the only way to achieve such equality, as African American and white comrades of his son rush to help him and his family. When the play debuted in 1938, it was feared its optimistic procommunist message would incite riots; the play closed after sixty four performances.
After Big White Fog, Ward moved to Chicago and his playwriting was put on hold during World War II. After the war, Ward saw his play Our Lan’ produced in New York. Ward received recognition for being one of the few African American playwrights on Broadway.
A lack of support and promotion of African American theater stunted Ward’s career and fame. His twenty to thirty plays had only short runs, if they were produced at all. The content of his work was frequently deemed too controversial for the period, causing Ward’s talents to be overlooked or ignored, resulting in Ward becoming an underappreciated talent of African American twentieth century theater. Ward died in Chicago, Illinois, on May 8, 1983, following a heart attack.
Ward received the second prize in the Chicago Repertory Company theater contest, 1937; a National Theater Conference fellowship, 1945-1947; the Theater Guild Award, 1947; a Guggenheim fellowship, 1947-1948; and the DuSable Writers’ Seminar and Poetry Festival Award for excellence in drama, 1982. He was named Nergo of the Year, 1947 and an Outstanding Pioneer of Black Theater, 1975.
Ward’s ability to capture the struggles of African American life through challenging and controversial subject matter rather than cliché stereotypes was his greatest literary achievement.