Lonne Elder III (December 26, 1927 â€" June 11, 1996) was an American
actor, playwright and screenwriter. Elder was one of the leading
African American figures who aggressively informed the New York
theater world with social and political consciousness. He also wrote
scripts for television and film. His most well known play, Ceremonies
in Dark Old Men won him a Drama Desk Award for Most Promising
Playwright and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The play, which
was about a Harlem barber and his family, was produced by the Negro
Ensemble Company in 1969.In 1973, Elder and Suzanne de Passe became
the first African Americans to be nominated for the Academy Award in
writing. Elder received the Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for the
movie Sounder, starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, and Kevin Hooks
and directed by Martin Ritt.Born in Americus, Georgia, to Lonne Elder
II and Quincy Elder, Elder grew up in impoverished conditions during
the Great Depression. As a small child, he was encouraged to read by
his mother and storytelling often occupied his mind. In an interview
with Liz Gant in Black World:Due to tragic circumstances, Elder was
orphaned at a young age. His aunt and uncle in Jersey City, New Jersey
continued his upbringing, along with that of his four siblings. His
uncle was a numbers runner, and Elder followed him on his rounds,
collecting betting slips. Elder completed his formal education and
attended New Jersey State Teachers' College in Trenton in 1949, but
dropped out before the end of his freshman year. He then moved to New
York's Harlem neighborhood, took classes at the New School for Social
Research, and became involved in the growing civil rights movement. In
1952, Elder was drafted into the United States Army, where he served
for two years.
actor, playwright and screenwriter. Elder was one of the leading
African American figures who aggressively informed the New York
theater world with social and political consciousness. He also wrote
scripts for television and film. His most well known play, Ceremonies
in Dark Old Men won him a Drama Desk Award for Most Promising
Playwright and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. The play, which
was about a Harlem barber and his family, was produced by the Negro
Ensemble Company in 1969.In 1973, Elder and Suzanne de Passe became
the first African Americans to be nominated for the Academy Award in
writing. Elder received the Best Adapted Screenplay nomination for the
movie Sounder, starring Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, and Kevin Hooks
and directed by Martin Ritt.Born in Americus, Georgia, to Lonne Elder
II and Quincy Elder, Elder grew up in impoverished conditions during
the Great Depression. As a small child, he was encouraged to read by
his mother and storytelling often occupied his mind. In an interview
with Liz Gant in Black World:Due to tragic circumstances, Elder was
orphaned at a young age. His aunt and uncle in Jersey City, New Jersey
continued his upbringing, along with that of his four siblings. His
uncle was a numbers runner, and Elder followed him on his rounds,
collecting betting slips. Elder completed his formal education and
attended New Jersey State Teachers' College in Trenton in 1949, but
dropped out before the end of his freshman year. He then moved to New
York's Harlem neighborhood, took classes at the New School for Social
Research, and became involved in the growing civil rights movement. In
1952, Elder was drafted into the United States Army, where he served
for two years.
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