Ron Sproat
Ronald Sproat (2 November 1932 [1] - 6 November 2009 in Manhattan, New York) [2][3] was an American screenwriter and playwright known for Dark Shadows.
He was openly gay.
Biography
Career
Sproat served as head writer on the 1960s ABC Daytime gothic soap Dark Shadows and created Barnabas Collins.[4] Sproat has written for Never Too Young, a teen soap opera that aired on ABC from 1965 to 1966 and Strange Paradise, a Canadian soap opera that aired in syndication in the United States from 1969 to 1970.
In addition to television writing, Sproat has also written for musical theatre including Abie's Island Rose and Back Home: The War Brides Musical, both of which ran off Broadway.[5][6] He penned the play 'The Dry Season' which was performed in 1954 by The Hamilton College Charlatans.
Education
Sproat received his MA from the University of Michigan, and performed undergraduate work at Hamilton College. While at Hamilton College, he won the William Duncan Saunders Award for creative writing. Sproat also attended Yale University where he earned a MFA. While attending Michigan, Sproat was also the recipient of the Avery Hopwood Award.[4]
References
- ↑ tributes.com entry Accessed 11 December 2009
- ↑ Playbill obit Accessed 17 November 2009
- ↑ Variety obit Accessed 17 November 2009
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Musical Mondays: Cast & Creative Details". musicalmondays.org. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ↑ "Abie's Got an Island Rose; New Tuner Begins April 29 in NYC". playbill.com. 2000-04-29. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ↑ "War Brides Sing Their Songs 'Back Home' at NYMF, 9/24-30". broadwayworld.com. 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2008-10-07.