Douglas Turner Ward
Negro Ensemble Company co-founder, actor, director, and playwright Douglas Turner Ward was born Roosevelt Ward, Jr. on May 5, 1930, in Burnside, Louisiana. Ward was a descendant of General Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the Ku Klux Klan; his great, great, great-grandmother, Elnora, owned as a slave by Forrest, bore a child with him. Ward’s parents, Roosevelt Ward and Dorothy Short Ward were field hands, but they owned their own tailoring business. Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and attending Xavier Prep High School, Ward graduated in 1946 at the age of sixteen. Ward entered Wilberforce University in 1946, where he performed in two plays, Thunder Rock and A Shot In The Dark, and discovered his ambition to be a sportswriter. When Wilberforce began to lose its accreditation in 1948, Ward transferred to the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he played football in his freshman year; he would later quit the football team. In 1949, Ward decided that he wanted to leave college altogether; at the age of nineteen, he went to New York City.
In New York Ward became politically involved and worked as a journalist. Ward eventually decided to become a playwright and studied at the Paul Mann Workshop in New York City. In 1956, Ward began his off-Broadway career as an actor in Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh; he went on to perform and understudy for a part in A Raisin In The Sun. In 1965, Ward, Robert Hooks, and Gerald Krone formed the Negro Ensemble Company; he made his playwriting debut that same year with the oft produced Happy Ending/Day of Absence. In 1967, the Negro Ensemble Company was officially opened with Ward serving as artistic director; some of the its notable productions include A Soldier’s Playand The River Niger, which became the company’s first play to go to Broadway. The River Niger eventually won a Tony Award for Best Play. Ward went on to write other plays, including The Reckoning and Brotherhood.
As a result of Ward and his colleagues’ hard work, the Negro Ensemble Company went on to produce more than two hundred plays, and to become a place for Black actors to gain experience and prominence in the theatre. Some notable actors who have worked with the Negro Ensemble Company include Louis Gossett, Jr., Phylicia Rashad, and Sherman Hemsley.
Douglas Turner Ward was interviewed by the HistoryMakers on April 28, 2010.
A2005.135
Male
6/10/2005 |and| 9/21/2006 |and| 11/29/2006 |and| 4/28/2010
4/28/2010
Ward
Turner
Xavier University Preparatory School
Wilberforce University
Central State University
University of Michigan
Douglas
Burnside
WAR08
None
Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
None

New York
5/5/1930
New York
United States
Beans (Red), Rice, Gumbo
Playwright, stage actor, and stage director Douglas Turner Ward (1930 - ) was a Tony award-winning thespian and the founder of the Negro Ensemble Company.
'A Raisin in the Sun'
'The Daily Worker'
Negro Ensemble Company
Red
Tape: 1 Story: 1 - Slating of Douglas Turner Ward's interview
Tape: 1 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward lists his favorites
Tape: 1 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his mother's family background, pt. 1
Tape: 1 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his maternal great-grandfather, Isaac Short
Tape: 1 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about his search for his family's history, pt. 1
Tape: 1 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about his search for his family's history, pt. 2
Tape: 2 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers asking about his family history
Tape: 2 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the lack of educational opportunities in Burnside, Louisiana
Tape: 2 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his father's grandparents
Tape: 2 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes Louisiana history
Tape: 2 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his reaction Mardi Gras traditions, pt. 1
Tape: 2 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his reaction Mardi Gras traditions, pt. 2
Tape: 2 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his father's parents
Tape: 2 Story: 8 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his paternal grandmother
Tape: 3 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his father's bootlegging
Tape: 3 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his parents' meeting
Tape: 3 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his extended family
Tape: 3 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his earliest childhood memory
Tape: 3 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his family's ghost stories
Tape: 3 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the sights, sounds and smells of his childhood
Tape: 3 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his childhood personality
Tape: 3 Story: 8 - Douglas Turner Ward recalls his interest in reading while growing up
Tape: 4 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the impact of Richard Wright's 'Black Boy' and James T. Farrell's 'Studs Lonigan'
Tape: 4 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward contrasts his experience with Richard Wright's in 'Black Boy'
Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his mother's religious influence
Tape: 4 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his questioning of the church
Tape: 4 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his elementary schools in New Orleans, Louisiana
Tape: 4 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes how he advanced through schools in New Orleans, Louisiana
Tape: 4 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his maternal great-grandfather's influence
Tape: 4 Story: 8 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers men he admired, including boxer Joe Louis
Tape: 5 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his interest in African American athletes and sports
Tape: 5 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his developing agnosticism
Tape: 5 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes extracurricular activities at Xavier University Preparatory School in New Orleans, Louisiana
Tape: 5 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward explains his decision to attend Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio
Tape: 5 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his surprise at the segregation in Ohio
Tape: 5 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward recalls watching movies as a child
Tape: 5 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his time at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio
Tape: 6 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers enjoying Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio
Tape: 6 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the schism at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio
Tape: 6 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers acting with the Wilberforce Players
Tape: 6 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes transferring to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tape: 6 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers becoming radicalized at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tape: 6 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about moving to New York City
Tape: 7 Story: 1 - Slating of Douglas Turner Ward's interview, session 2
Tape: 7 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes developing an interest in politics at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tape: 7 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers deciding to leave the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tape: 7 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about reading Karl Marx
Tape: 7 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his influences at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Tape: 7 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his decision to move to New York City
Tape: 7 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes registering for the draft in New Orleans, Louisiana
Tape: 7 Story: 8 - Douglas Turner Ward recalls arriving in New York City
Tape: 8 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers working for Henry A. Wallace's 1948 presidential campaign
Tape: 8 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes President Harry S. Truman's civil rights position
Tape: 8 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the fall-out from the 1948 presidential election
Tape: 8 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his experience as a Marxist youth leader in the 1950s
Tape: 8 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes Harlem nightlife in the 1940s and 1950s
Tape: 8 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the acceptance of radicalism in Harlem, New York City
Tape: 8 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his arrest in 1951
Tape: 9 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his arrest and conviction
Tape: 9 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his exoneration
Tape: 9 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers returning to New York City after his exoneration
Tape: 9 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his path to becoming a playwright
Tape: 9 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his early writing
Tape: 9 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his decision to pursue playwriting
Tape: 9 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes developing as a writer
Tape: 10 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the conflict in the Communist Party after Joseph Stalin's death
Tape: 10 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his changing political views in the 1950s
Tape: 10 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes acting in 'The Iceman Cometh'
Tape: 10 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his early stage roles
Tape: 10 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers Lorraine Hansberry's invitation to audition for 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 10 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his role in 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 10 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes audience perceptions of 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 11 Story: 1 - Slating of Douglas Turner Ward's interview, session 3
Tape: 11 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the original cast of 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 11 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the acting methods of the cast of 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 11 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about the rehearsal process for 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 11 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers seeing his first plays in New York City
Tape: 11 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers touring with 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 11 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers giving Lorraine Hansberry advice, pt. 1
Tape: 11 Story: 8 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers giving Lorraine Hansberry advice, pt. 2
Tape: 11 Story: 9 - Douglas Turner Ward reflects upon the presence of African American actors in the 1940s and 1950s
Tape: 11 Story: 10 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers forming the Manhattan Arts Theater
Tape: 12 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes acting in the postwar period
Tape: 12 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes expectations for 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 12 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the Manhattan Arts Club disbanding
Tape: 12 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the positive reviews of 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 12 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the Broadway run of 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 12 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes not getting the role of Walter Lee Younger in 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 12 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes HistoryMaker Ossie Davis and Elwood Smith playing Walter Lee Younger in 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 13 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes Claudia McNeil and Diana Sands rejoining 'A Raisin in the Sun' on the road
Tape: 13 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers a lecture from HistoryMaker Lloyd Richards
Tape: 13 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes working with Elwood Smith in 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 13 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his performance as Walter Lee Younger in 'A Raisin in the Sun'
Tape: 13 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes acting in 'The Blacks' in New York City
Tape: 13 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his acting roles after 'The Blacks'
Tape: 13 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers his first staged play, 'Happy Ending'
Tape: 14 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the early performances of 'Happy Ending' and 'Day of Absence'
Tape: 14 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward recalls the reception of 'Happy Ending' and 'Day of Absence'
Tape: 14 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his writing process for 'Day of Absence'
Tape: 14 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the inspiration for 'Happy Ending,' pt. 1
Tape: 14 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the inspiration for 'Happy Ending,' pt. 2
Tape: 14 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the genesis of the Negro Ensemble Company, pt. 1
Tape: 14 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the genesis of the Negro Ensemble Company, pt. 2
Tape: 15 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the process of writing 'Day of Absence'
Tape: 15 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the genesis of 'Happy Ending'
Tape: 15 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about audience responses to 'Happy Ending'
Tape: 15 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the opening of 'Day of Absence' and 'Happy Ending'
Tape: 15 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the legacy of 'Day of Absence' and 'Happy Ending'
Tape: 15 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward describes setting aside time for his family and writing
Tape: 15 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his Haitian trilogy
Tape: 16 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward describes selecting plays for the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 16 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers receiving scripts for the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 16 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes different playwrights' styles
Tape: 16 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about writing for African American audiences
Tape: 16 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the style of theater he cultivated
Tape: 16 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about HistoryMaker Paul Carter Harrison
Tape: 16 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward Douglas Turner Ward describes the Negro Ensemble Company's early plays
Tape: 17 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers deciding not to take 'Ceremonies in Dark Old Men' to Broadway
Tape: 17 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the vision of the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 17 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about the lack of a national arts policy
Tape: 17 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers taking 'The River Niger' to Broadway
Tape: 17 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the financial goals of the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 17 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about the success of 'Fences'
Tape: 17 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the role of AUDELCO in creating audiences for African American productions
Tape: 18 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about the purpose of the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 18 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the financial difficulties of the Negro Ensemble Company
Tape: 18 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the final years of the Negro Ensemble Company, pt. 1
Tape: 18 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward remembers the final years of the Negro Ensemble Company, pt. 2
Tape: 18 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his Haitian trilogy
Tape: 18 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Tape: 19 Story: 1 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about the Haitian Revolution
Tape: 19 Story: 2 - Douglas Turner Ward describes the lost potential of Haiti
Tape: 19 Story: 3 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community, pt. 1
Tape: 19 Story: 4 - Douglas Turner Ward describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community, pt. 2
Tape: 19 Story: 5 - Douglas Turner Ward reflects upon his life and legacy
Tape: 19 Story: 6 - Douglas Turner Ward talks about his family
Tape: 19 Story: 7 - Douglas Turner Ward describes how he would like to be remembered
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6$14
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