Steve Carter (playwright)
Encyclopedia
Horace E. "Steve" Carter, Jr. (born November 1929) is an American
playwright
, best known for his plays involving Caribbean
immigrants living in the United States
.
and Carmen, who is from Trinidad
. He is professionally known as steve carter (spelled in all lowercase letters).
Carter's first interest in the theatre was to be a set designer. As a youngster, he would make models of sets inspired by motion pictures and the occasional play he would see with his mother. Soon he would populate these models with cutout figures. This led to him creating dialog for the figures as he moved them around the set.
In 1948, he graduated from the High School of Music and Art in New York City.
His professional career as a playwright began in 1965 at the American Community Theater with the production of the short play Terraced Apartment. This work would evolve years later into an expanded version entitled Terraces.
On November 13, 1967, One Last Look
premiered off-off-Broadway
at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern under the direction of Arthur French
. It is a dark comedy set during the funeral of a family patriarch. It features the character of Eustace Baylor, that would later be found in his play, Eden
, the first of a trilogy of plays featuring Caribbean families in New York City
.
In 1968, he joined the staff of the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC)
where he would become director of the NEC Playwrights Workshop. One of his best known students was Samm-Art Williams
, who once said "that no single individual has influenced my writing to the degree that Steve Carter has."
While at NEC, several of Carter's plays were produced including the first two of his Caribbean trilogy.
section of New York City in the late 1920s, Eden
tells a story somewhat reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet
about a young Caribbean
woman who falls in love with a black man from the rural American South. Her strict father does not approve of the relationship, because he feels that American blacks, especially those from the rural South, are vastly inferior to Caribbean blacks. The play was produced by NEC in 1976, then transferred to Theatre de Lys
to continue its run for a total of 181 performances. The production garnered Carter recognition from the Outer Critics Circle
as the season's most promising new playwright. In 1986, his feature film adaptation, A Time Called Eden was set to go into production, but has yet to be produced.
, the second play in the series, deals with the effects of the patriarch being crippled by paralysis in the Queens section of New York City in the 1950s. Like Whose Life Is It Anyway?
, it deals with euthanasia
. Both were among the ten productions selected by the Burns Mantle Yearbook as "The Best Plays of 1978-1979."
in Chicago
. His first play produced there was Dame Lorraine
, the final play of his Caribbean trilogy. Set in modern times, the play tells the story of an elderly couple living in Harlem that anxiously await the return of their last surviving son who has just been released from prison.
include House of Shadows, Pecong
and the musical, Shoot Me While I'm Happy. Spiele '36: Or the Fourth Medal had its world premiere at Theater of the First Amendment at George Mason University
in 1991.
Carter currently lives in New York City
.
Carter has also received recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts
, the Rockefeller Foundation
, the Guggenheim Foundation
and the New York State Council on the Arts.
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...
, best known for his plays involving Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
immigrants living in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Biography
Born Horace E. Carter, Jr. in New York City to Horace, Sr., an African-American longshoreman from Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
and Carmen, who is from Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
. He is professionally known as steve carter (spelled in all lowercase letters).
Carter's first interest in the theatre was to be a set designer. As a youngster, he would make models of sets inspired by motion pictures and the occasional play he would see with his mother. Soon he would populate these models with cutout figures. This led to him creating dialog for the figures as he moved them around the set.
In 1948, he graduated from the High School of Music and Art in New York City.
His professional career as a playwright began in 1965 at the American Community Theater with the production of the short play Terraced Apartment. This work would evolve years later into an expanded version entitled Terraces.
On November 13, 1967, One Last Look
One Last Look (play)
One Last Look is a 1967 play by American playwright Steve Carter. During a funeral service, mourners reflect on their relationship with the deceased.-Original production:*Directed by Arthur French*Produced by Norman "Speedy" Hartmann and Tony Preston...
premiered off-off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway
Off-Off-Broadway theatrical productions in New York City are those in theatres that are smaller than Broadway and Off-Broadway theatres. Off-Off-Broadway theaters are often defined as theaters that have fewer than 100 seats, though the term can be used for any show in the New York City area that...
at the Old Reliable Theatre Tavern under the direction of Arthur French
Arthur French (actor)
Arthur French is an American actor and director best known for his work in the theatre.- Biography :Throughout a career that spans over fifty years, French is best known for his work on the stage. He worked extensively with the Negro Ensemble Company and has played a wide variety of roles...
. It is a dark comedy set during the funeral of a family patriarch. It features the character of Eustace Baylor, that would later be found in his play, Eden
Eden (play)
Eden is a 1976 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1920s, it is the first of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Eden explores intra-racial conflicts between recent immigrants from the Caribbean and the African-American population...
, the first of a trilogy of plays featuring Caribbean families in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1968, he joined the staff of the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC)
Negro Ensemble Company
The Negro Ensemble Company is a New York City-based theater company. Established in 1967 by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, producer/actor Robert Hooks, and theater manager Gerald S...
where he would become director of the NEC Playwrights Workshop. One of his best known students was Samm-Art Williams
Samm-Art Williams
Samm-Art Williams is an American playwright and screenwriter, and a stage and film/TV actor. Much of his work concerns the African-American experience....
, who once said "that no single individual has influenced my writing to the degree that Steve Carter has."
While at NEC, several of Carter's plays were produced including the first two of his Caribbean trilogy.
The Caribbean Trilogy
All three plays in the series deal with Caribbean immigrant families living in New York City at various periods during the 20th century. While each family is different, each play features a patriarch that has become incapacitated in one way or another. The plays in the trilogy are as follows:Eden
Set in the San Juan HillSan Juan Hill
San Juan Hill is a series of hills to the east of Santiago, Cuba running north to south and known as the San Juan Heights or in Spanish "Alturas de San Juan" before Spanish-American War of 1898...
section of New York City in the late 1920s, Eden
Eden (play)
Eden is a 1976 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1920s, it is the first of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Eden explores intra-racial conflicts between recent immigrants from the Caribbean and the African-American population...
tells a story somewhat reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
about a young Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
woman who falls in love with a black man from the rural American South. Her strict father does not approve of the relationship, because he feels that American blacks, especially those from the rural South, are vastly inferior to Caribbean blacks. The play was produced by NEC in 1976, then transferred to Theatre de Lys
Lucille Lortel Theatre
The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an off-Broadway playhouse located at 121 Christopher Street in New York City's Greenwich Village.The venue was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse...
to continue its run for a total of 181 performances. The production garnered Carter recognition from the Outer Critics Circle
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
as the season's most promising new playwright. In 1986, his feature film adaptation, A Time Called Eden was set to go into production, but has yet to be produced.
Nevis Mountain Dew
Nevis Mountain DewNevis Mountain Dew
Nevis Mountain Dew is a 1978 play by American playwright steve carter . Set in the 1950s, it is the second of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Nevis Mountain Dew explores the subject of euthanasia involving the patriarch of an affluent family who is confined to an iron lung.-Characters:Jared Philibert:...
, the second play in the series, deals with the effects of the patriarch being crippled by paralysis in the Queens section of New York City in the 1950s. Like Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Whose Life is it Anyway?
Whose Life Is It Anyway? is a play by Brian Clark adapted from his 1972 television play of the same title. The play premiered at the Mermaid Theatre in London's West End in 1978 starring Tom Conti as Ken.-Plot:...
, it deals with euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
. Both were among the ten productions selected by the Burns Mantle Yearbook as "The Best Plays of 1978-1979."
Dame Lorraine
In 1981, Carter left NEC to become the first playwright-in-residence at the Victory Gardens TheaterVictory Gardens Theater
Victory Gardens Theater is a theater in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to the development and production of new plays and playwrights. The theater was founded in 1974 when seven Chicago artists, Warren Casey, Cordis Heard, Roberta Maguire, Mac McGuinnes, Cecil O'Neal, June Pyskaček, and David Rasche...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. His first play produced there was Dame Lorraine
Dame Lorraine (play)
Dame Lorraine is a 1981 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1980s, it is the third of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Dame Lorraine explores a family who has lost all of their sons, except one...
, the final play of his Caribbean trilogy. Set in modern times, the play tells the story of an elderly couple living in Harlem that anxiously await the return of their last surviving son who has just been released from prison.
Later works
Other plays produced at the Victory Gardens TheaterVictory Gardens Theater
Victory Gardens Theater is a theater in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to the development and production of new plays and playwrights. The theater was founded in 1974 when seven Chicago artists, Warren Casey, Cordis Heard, Roberta Maguire, Mac McGuinnes, Cecil O'Neal, June Pyskaček, and David Rasche...
include House of Shadows, Pecong
Pecong (play)
Pecong is a 1990 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set "well in the past" on a fictional Caribbean island, the play tells the story of a sorceress who falls madly in love with a shallow womanizer.-Original production:*Directed by Dennis Zacek...
and the musical, Shoot Me While I'm Happy. Spiele '36: Or the Fourth Medal had its world premiere at Theater of the First Amendment at George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
in 1991.
Carter currently lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Awards and nominations
- 1977 Outer Critics Circle AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardThe Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
(Most Promising New Playwright) for EdenEden (play)Eden is a 1976 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1920s, it is the first of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Eden explores intra-racial conflicts between recent immigrants from the Caribbean and the African-American population... - 1979 Selection, Burns Mantle, The Best Plays of 1978-1979 for Nevis Mountain DewNevis Mountain DewNevis Mountain Dew is a 1978 play by American playwright steve carter . Set in the 1950s, it is the second of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Nevis Mountain Dew explores the subject of euthanasia involving the patriarch of an affluent family who is confined to an iron lung.-Characters:Jared Philibert:...
- 1979 Drama Desk AwardDrama Desk AwardThe Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
(Outstanding New Play) nomination for Nevis Mountain DewNevis Mountain DewNevis Mountain Dew is a 1978 play by American playwright steve carter . Set in the 1950s, it is the second of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Nevis Mountain Dew explores the subject of euthanasia involving the patriarch of an affluent family who is confined to an iron lung.-Characters:Jared Philibert:... - 1980 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle AwardLos Angeles Drama Critics Circle AwardThe Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards is an annual awards program presented by the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle . Established in 1969, the awards recognize excellence in theatre in the Greater Los Angeles Area....
(Playwriting) for EdenEden (play)Eden is a 1976 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1920s, it is the first of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. Eden explores intra-racial conflicts between recent immigrants from the Caribbean and the African-American population... - 1990 Jeff Award (Best New Work) for PecongPecong (play)Pecong is a 1990 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set "well in the past" on a fictional Caribbean island, the play tells the story of a sorceress who falls madly in love with a shallow womanizer.-Original production:*Directed by Dennis Zacek...
- 2001 National Black Theatre Festival - Living Legend Award
Carter has also received recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, the Guggenheim Foundation
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation was founded in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. Simon Guggenheim in memory of their son, who died April 26, 1922...
and the New York State Council on the Arts.