Search Results

Young Maryat Lee, seated far right, with her father, seated in the center of the bottom row, and the Lamberts.Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43825. Group portrait of Maryat Lee, her father, Dewitt Collins Lee, and friends

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43826. Young Maryat Lee

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43827. Maryat Lee age 14 and brother Robert E. "Buzz" Lee age 17 standing on a beach

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43828. Maryat Lee and her brother Robert E. "Buzz" Lee at Christmas

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43829. Maryat Lee's mother, Grace Dyer Lee

Maryat Lee, seated in a chair on the left, in her friend Bonnie's dorm room at Wellesley College.  Lee graduated from Wellesley in 1945 with a degree in religious studies.  She later studied at Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary in New York City.Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43830. Maryat Lee with friends at Wellesley College

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43831. Soul and Latin Theater performance of the play "After the Fashion Show" by Maryat Lee, Jose Colon acting as the son in the play, N.Y.C.

Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43832. Soul and Latin Theater Actor, Jose Colon, in a scene from "After the Fashion Show" by Maryat Lee, N.Y.C.

In the play, "DOPE!" by Maryat Lee, Celee (Ana Lopez) sister to Louie (Michael Suner) is showing ambivalence in the dream scene performed by the Soul and Latin Theater.Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43833. Actress Ana Lopez in Soul and Latin Theater performance of "DOPE!" by Maryat Lee

The Soul and Latin Theater was a street theater group in Harlem that performed plays dealing with cultural issues of the 1960s that were also related to the lives of the actors.Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43834. Soul and Latin Theater actress Ana Lopez in the foreground

The Soul and Latin Theater was a street theater group in Harlem that performed plays dealing with cultural issues of the 1960s that were also related to the lives of the actors. The participants of SALT performed all duties associated with the theater including the set up of the stage, lights, sound, etc...  Tony Vasquez eventually played the character of a drug addict in Maryat Lee's play "DOPE!"Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43835. Soul and Latin Theater actor, Tony Vasquez operating the sound or (as Sound Technician) in N.Y.C.

The Soul and Latin Theater group.  Bottom row from left: Jose Colon, Gwendolyn Braddock, Maria Gonzales, Norma Acevedo, Jose Mojica; Middle row: Maryat Lee, Maggie Camacho, Lucky Figueroa; Top row: Esteban Seaton.The Soul and Latin Theater was a street theater group in Harlem that performed plays dealing with cultural issues of the 1960s that were also related to the lives of the actors.Maryat Lee (born Mary Attaway Lee; May 26, 1923 – September 18, 1989) was an American playwright and theatre director who made important contributions to post-World War II avant-garde theatre.  She pioneered street theatre in Harlem, and later founded EcoTheater in West Virginia, a community based theater project.Early in her career, Lee wrote and produced plays in New York City, including the street play “DOPE!”  While in New York she also formed the Soul and Latin Theater (SALT), and wrote plays centered around the lives of the actors in the group.In 1970 Lee moved to West Virginia and formed the community theater group EcoTheater in 1975.  Beginning with local teenagers from the Governor’s Summer Youth Program, the rural theater group grew, and produced plays based on oral histories collected from the local community.  Each performance of an EcoTheater play involved audience participation and discussion.  With the assistance of the Humanities Foundation of West Virginia, guest scholars became a part of EcoTheater.

43836. Maryat Lee and the Soul and Latin Theater Actors