054 | Throwback: A Burning Desire

For Our Edification

This throwback episode features a conversation with playwright and author Harold Ellis Clark Jr. While he is known for his great radio broadcasting, public relations and communications work, Harold has made a mark as an award-winning playwright and author. In this interview from the old "Eddie Francis Podcast Show," Harold talked about his burning desire to write, how it felt to see that dream come true, the struggle in maintaining the dream, and how he stays motivated.

About Harold Ellis Clark Jr.

Profile: https://www.stage32.com/profile/788995/about

Harold is a proud native of the Westbank of the Greater New Orleans area. He has won awards from Playhouse on the Square (Memphis, TN) for "We Live Here" (2013) and UpStage Theatre (Baton Rouge, LA) for "Fishers of Men" (2013).

He has been named one of two finalists for the Stanley Drama Award an unprecedented three times for "Tour Detour" (2013), "Uncle Bobby ’63" (2015), and "Madame Thames’ Spirit Bar" (2016). Harold was also named a semifinalist for the Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights Conference in 2013 ("Tour Detour"), 2014 ("We Live Here"), and 2015 ("Uncle Bobby ’63"); and he traveled to Durban, South Africa for the South African premiere of "We Live Here" (2017). American Blues Theater (Chicago, IL) named Harold a featured finalist for the 2018 Blue Ink Playwriting Award for his play, "Run No More," and produced a staged reading of the drama. Additionally, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company (Winston Salem, NC) produced a staged reading of "Run No More" in 2019. As a 2018-2019 member of Southern Rep Theatre's 4D New Play Development Program in New Orleans, Harold penned "Indoctrination," for which he was named one of ten finalists for the 2019 Todd McNerney Playwriting Award. A staged reading of "Run No More," previously scheduled for April 17, 2020 at IATI Theater (New York, NY) as part of Cimientos 2020, occurred June 14, 2020 virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harold is known among Greater New Orleans radio listeners for having taken over the weekly talk show "Sunday Journal" for which he won multiple awards from the Press Club of New Orleans. He also authored the novel, Chummy's Spirit.

The views expressed on "For Our Edification" do not reflect the views of any entity with which the hosts or guests are affiliated.