Award-winning playwright meets with Harper College theater students

Posted July 06, 2014 11:00 pm

Submitted by Harper College

Alfred Uhry, the only American playwright to win an Oscar, a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize, shared some of his inspirations with Harper College theater students. Courtesy of Harper College

Harper College welcomed Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Alfred Uhry who spoke at the college June 26.

Uhry told the audience, gathered at the Performing Arts Center, that he drew from historical events and his own life to write the "Atlanta Trilogy," a series of plays set in the South during the first half of the 20th century.

Uhry encouraged the group to "stick to what you believe." Harper theater students performed short scenes from the Georgia native's three plays: "Driving Miss Daisy," "Parade" and "The Last Night in Ballyhoo."

Assistant Professor Kevin Long, who helped co-host the event with Professor Richard Middleton-Kaplan, directed the first two plays last year and is preparing to lead the production of "Ballyhoo" from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 at Harper's Drama Lab Black Box Theatre.

For more details, contact the box office at (847) 925-6100 or visit Harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.

Alfred Uhry's visit comes as students prepare for a production of his play, "The Last Night in Ballyhoo." Courtesy of Harper College

Harper hosted Alfred Uhry on an intimate stage. Courtesy of Harper College

Theater students at the Palatine-based community college performed scenes from Uhry's plays. Courtesy of Harper College

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