Edgar Nkosi White

Last updated

Edgar Nkosi White
Born1947 (age 76–77)
Montserrat
Education
Occupations
  • Playwright
  • poet
Notable work
  • Lament for Rastafari
  • I Marcus Garvey
  • Trinity: The Long and Cheerful Road to Slavery
Website www.peepaltreepress.com/authors/edgar-nkosi-white

Edgar Nkosi White (born 1947) is a Montserratian playwright and author who has written more than 40 plays and novels. His work has been performed internationally. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

White was born on the Caribbean island of Montserrat in April 1947, where he attended Cork Hill primary school. In 1952, he moved to Harlem, New York City, and went to Theodore Roosevelt High School. [3] As a student, he attended City College of New York from 1964-1965 and then New York University. From 1971 to 1973 he studied at the Yale University School of Drama, [4] where he established a theatre company, the Yale Black Players, and was expelled by the school authorities. [5] Later in life, he attended New York Theological Seminary. [1] [6]

Plays and poetry

White's first play, The Mummer's Play, was produced by Joseph Papp and staged at The Public Theater in 1965, when White was 18 years old. [7] As a high school student, White's writing career began after he won a poetry competition in New York. One of the judges there was the poet Langston Hughes, who later inspired White to publish his first book collection of plays Underground, in 1970. [1] [8]

His play Lament for Rastafari was directed by Basil Wallace at Ellen Stewart's Café La MaMa Theatre in March and April 1977. [9] This led to productions in England both on stage at the Keskidee Arts Centre in London, and as a BBC radio drama. [10] A production of White's play I Marcus Garvey toured Canada in 2011–2012. [11] [8]

From 2010 to 2011, White was library writer in residence at the City College Library of the City University of New York, where he continued to write new prose and poetry, including essays on Langston Hughes (Trance) and Ellen Stewart (Ellen). [12] [13] In Ellen, White recalls how he was dared to write his first play by Martin Sheen; and Sheen then presented the play, Mummers, to Joe Papp. [13]

In 2015, White published an autobiographical collection of essays and memories, Deported to Paradise, which uses his experiences of growing up on Montserrat, and in New York, as a starting point for discussions of wide-ranging themes around inequality, corporations, consumerism and the state of the world. Some of these essays have been published independently - for example, in 2016 White shared In the Ghut in celebration of the birthday of the Premier of Montserrat, Donaldson Romeo. [14]

Selected published works

Books

Plays

Listings of all of his plays staged in British theatres are maintained in the Black Plays Archive. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Allan Poe</span> American writer and critic (1809–1849)

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, author, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States, and of American literature. Poe was one of the country's earliest practitioners of the short story, and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre, as well as a significant contributor to the emerging genre of science fiction. He is the first well-known American writer to earn a living by writing alone, which resulted in a financially difficult life and career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. Edgar Hoover</span> American law-enforcement administrator (1895–1972)

John Edgar Hoover was an American law-enforcement administrator who served as the final Director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). President Calvin Coolidge first appointed Hoover as director of the BOI, the predecessor to the FBI, in 1924. After 11 years in the post, Hoover became instrumental in founding the FBI in June 1935, where he remained as director for an additional 37 years until his death in May 1972 – serving a total of 48 years leading both the BOI and the FBI and under eight Presidents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montserrat</span> British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean

Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about 16 km (10 mi) long and 11 km (7 mi) wide, with roughly 40 km (25 mi) of coastline. It is nicknamed "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of many of its inhabitants. Montserrat is the only non-fully sovereign full member of the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rastafari</span> Religion originating in 1930s Jamaica

Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is an Abrahamic religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control of the movement and much diversity exists among practitioners, who are known as Rastafari, Rastafarians, or Rastas.

<i>Stranger Than Paradise</i> 1984 film directed by Jim Jarmusch

Stranger Than Paradise is a 1984 American black-and-white absurdist deadpan comedy film directed, co-written and co-edited by Jim Jarmusch, and starring jazz musician John Lurie, former Sonic Youth drummer-turned-actor Richard Edson, and Hungarian-born actress and violinist Eszter Balint. It features a minimalist plot in which the main character, Willie, is visited by Eva, his cousin from Hungary. Eva stays with him for ten days before going to Cleveland. Willie and his friend Eddie go to Cleveland to visit her, and the three then take a trip to Florida. The film is shot entirely in single long takes with no standard coverage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradise by the Dashboard Light</span> 1977 single by Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley

"Paradise by the Dashboard Light" is a song written by Jim Steinman. It was released in 1977 on the album Bat Out of Hell, with vocals by American musicians Meat Loaf and Ellen Foley. An uncommonly long song for a single, it has become a staple of classic rock radio and has been described as the "greatest rock duet".

Jerome Chodorov was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the book with Joseph A. Fields for the original Broadway musical Wonderful Town starring Rosalind Russell. The musical was based on short stories by Ruth McKenney.

Leonard Percival Howell, also known as The Gong or G. G. Maragh, was a Jamaican religious figure. According to his biographer Hélène Lee, Howell was born into an Anglican family. He was one of the first preachers of the Rastafari movement, and is known by many as The First Rasta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mummers Parade</span> Parade held each New Years Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia. Started in 1901, it is the longest-running continuous folk parade in the United States.

Angela Wynter is a Jamaican-British actress. She is known for her role as Yolande Trueman in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2021, she joined the cast of the BBC soap opera Doctors for a three-month stint as Makeda Sylvester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lewis Nkosi</span> South African writer and literary critic (1936–2010)

Lewis Nkosi was a South African writer and journalist, who spent 30 years in exile as a consequence of restrictions placed on him and his writing by the Suppression of Communism Act and the Publications and Entertainment Act passed in the 1950s and 1960s. A multifaceted personality, he attempted multiple genre for his writing, including literary criticism, poetry, drama, novels, short stories, essays, as well as journalism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Henry Bramble</span> Chief Minister of Montserrat (1901–1988)

William Henry Bramble, also known as Willy B, was a union leader and a political-party leader from Montserrat; from his Montserrat Labour Party, he was the first Chief Minister of the territory, serving from January 1960 to December 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgar Mittelholzer</span> Guyanese novelist (1909–1965)

Edgar Austin Mittelholzer was a Guyanese novelist. He is the earliest professional novelist from the English-speaking Caribbean. He was able to develop a readership in Europe and North America, as well as the Caribbean; and established himself in London, where he lived almost exclusively by writing fiction. He is considered "the most prolific novelist to be produced by the Caribbean".

Vona Groarke is a leading Irish poet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Lothrop</span> American publisher (1831–1892)

Daniel Lothrop was an American publisher.

The Keskidee Centre, or Keskidee Arts Centre, was Britain's first arts centre for the black community, founded in 1971. Located at Gifford Street in Islington, near King's Cross in London, it was a project initiated by Guyanese architect and cultural activist Oscar Abrams (1937–1996) to provide under one roof self-help and cultural activities for the local West Indian community. Its purpose-built facilities included a library, gallery, studios, theatre and restaurant. The Keskidee became a hub for African and Afro-Caribbean politics and arts, and for years was the only place in London that produced black theatre, developing its own vibrant drama company and attracting both a black and white audience.

Basil Wallace is a Jamaica-born American actor. He was born in Kingston and immigrated to the United States as a child. His family first settled in Brooklyn, New York City. He, his parents, and his siblings then moved to Long Island, where he attended Hempstead High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Black (photographer)</span>

Alexander Black (1859–1940) was an American author, photographer, newspaper man, and the inventor of the pre-cinema “Picture Play” which debuted in 1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Dolly Peters</span>

Ellen Dolly Peters, BEM was an Afro-Montserratian teacher and trade unionist. Outspoken in her activism for improved conditions for workers, she was instrumental in the rise of William Bramble's political career and earned the title "king maker". For her contributions to labor, she was awarded the British Empire Medal and was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for her teaching and service to the Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mummers' play</span> Type of folk play

Mummers' plays are folk plays performed by troupes of amateur actors, traditionally all male, known as mummers or guisers. Historically, mummers' plays consisted of informal groups of costumed community members that visited from house to house on various holidays. Today the term refers especially to a play in which a number of characters are called on stage, two of whom engage in a combat, the loser being revived by a doctor character. This play is sometimes found associated with a sword dance though both also exist in Britain independently.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Edgar Nkosi White". peepaltreepress.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Edgar Nkosi White- Playwright Dramatist". doollee.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Fergus, Howard (1996). Gallery Montserrat: Some Prominent People in Our History. Barbados: Canoe Press. p. 39.
  4. ↑ "Circumspice, City College Library New York" (PDF). Spring 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. ↑ White, Edgar (2015). Deported to Paradise. Leeds: Peepal Tree Press. p. 44.
  6. ↑ Fergus, Howard (1996). Gallery Montserrat: Some Prominent People in Our History. Barbados: Canoe Press. p. 40.
  7. 1 2 "White; Edgar Nkosi | BPA". www.blackplaysarchive.org.uk.
  8. 1 2 "Edgar Nkosi White | litfest.ms 2010". Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "La Mama Archive". catalog.lamama.org.
  10. ↑ "Lament for Rastafari | BPA". www.blackplaysarchive.org.uk.
  11. ↑ "Review - I Marcus Garvey - Theatre Archipelago, Toronto - Christopher Hoile". www.stage-door.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  12. ↑ White, Edgar Nkosi (31 October 2009). "Trance". Publications and Research. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  13. 1 2 White, Edgar Nkosi (1 January 2011). "Ellen". Publications and Research. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Roach, Bennette. "Here is 'In The Ghut'". The Montserrat Reporter Online. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  15. ↑ "Edgar Nkosi White- Playwright Dramatist". www.doollee.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.