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When playwright Maryat Lee moved to West Virginia, she first lived near Hinton, Summers County, W. Va. where she founded EcoTheater. She later moved to Lewisburg, W. Va. in 1984 where she continued to teach her community theater methods.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.

Maryat Lee in West Virginia

Identifier:
049831
Collection Number:
A&M 3300
Title:
Maryat Lee in West Virginia
Date:
ca. 1983
Creator:
likely Fran Belin
Description:
When playwright Maryat Lee moved to West Virginia, she first lived near Hinton, Summers County, W. Va. where she founded EcoTheater. She later moved to Lewisburg, W. Va. in 1984 where she continued to teach her community theater methods.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.
Subjects:
Theater.
Personal Names:
Lee, Maryat, 1923-1989.
Acquisition Source:
Lee, Robert
Acquisition Method:
Gift
Medium:
print
Projects:
West Virginia History OnView