329:
considered Penny to be Wilson's mentor in those early days. Penny's hire, along with other non-traditionalists academics, such as the choreographer Bob
Johnson were part of the push to infuse the Black Studies curriculum with a wholistic Black Aesthetic to correspond to an advanced exploration of Black academics that Porter, in particular, thought should comprise Black Studies. After Penny began teaching at the
261:
25:
349:, a fellow Pittsburgh poet and playwright, were approached by members of Pitt's Black Action Society (Curtiss E. Porter, Tony Fountain, E. Philip McKain), who had recently obtained funding, to establish the Black Horizons Theater, which staged performances until the mid-1970s. Dr. Vernell A. Lillie founded the
324:
Porter and Daniel sought to develop a faculty representative of both academia and community. Porter, in particular, himself a creative, drew on Penny's established reputation as a "straight ahead" poet, fusing the incantations of Bebop jazz and street lyricism into hard hitting graphic, terse poetics
359:
The
Pittsburgh City Council honored Penny by presenting the Penny family with a key to the City of Pittsburgh for his commitment to social activism, dedication to encouraging youth, and contributions to the greater Hill District community. July 29, 2008, is officially the city of Pittsburgh's Rob
328:
Emanating from
Pittsburgh's fabled Hill District creative arts core, he was a lead voice of The Centre Ave Poets Writer's Workshop, which included others such as Charlie Williams, Nick Flournoy and August Wilson, who would achieve later fame as America's premier African American playwright. Many
336:
His tenure established a foothold for the increased production of his art. Penny, moved on to serve as chair of its
Africana Studies Department from 1978 to 1984 after Porter's resignation from the Chairmanship. Penny was also a founding member of the Africana Studies Department.
375:
Penny's plays have been nationally produced in such theatres as the aforementioned Kuntu
Repertory Theatre, Chicago's ETA / Creative Arts Foundation, Inc. New York's New Federal Theatre founded by Dr.
321:
Penny was in the first cohort of Black
Studies faculty hired in 1968 by Jack L. Daniel, Ph.D. and Curtiss E. Porter, the co-directors of the University of Pittsburgh's Africana Studies Program.
767:
707:
353:
in 1974 as a way of showcasing Penny's plays. Penny was the playwright-in-residence for the Kuntu
Repertory Theatre. Today, the theatre continues to hold performances of Penny's plays.
244:
737:
757:
752:
747:
35:
727:
762:
732:
653:
742:
308:
722:
682:
673:
717:
627:
286:
50:
678:
356:
In 1976, he and Wilson co-founded the Kuntu
Writers Workshop, which Penny coordinated until his death on March 16, 2003.
712:
93:
65:
271:
282:
290:
275:
72:
330:
236:
350:
79:
61:
702:
697:
669:
602:
575:
548:
649:
379:
as well as
Brooklyn, New York's celebrated Billie Holiday Theatre, the 2000 world premiere of
232:
138:
603:"Obituary: Robert Lee 'Rob' Penny / Founder of Kuntu Repertory; poet, teacher and activist"
576:"Obituary: Robert Lee 'Rob' Penny / Founder of Kuntu Repertory; poet, teacher and activist"
549:"Obituary: Robert Lee 'Rob' Penny / Founder of Kuntu Repertory; poet, teacher and activist"
376:
216:
86:
691:
346:
240:
364:
333:, he was promoted to associate professor in 1971 under the leadership of Porter.
260:
24:
208:
198:
Roy Lee Penny Sr., Jefferson Davis Penny Jr., Ann Penny, and Betty Jean Penny
155:
220:
628:"World Premiere continues Silver Season for Kuntu Repertory Theatre"
363:
The 62-year-old poet, playwright, teacher and activist died of a
393:
Among the Best: The
Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays
212:
254:
18:
630:, News Services, University of Pittsburgh, February 22, 2000.
247:, Penny had childhood aspirations of joining the priesthood.
42:
367:
at his Hill District home in Pittsburgh on March 16, 2003.
245:
Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
46:
243:
as a toddler, where he was raised. A 1957 graduate of
190:
Johnny Penny, Robert Lee Penny Jr., and Kadumu Penny
194:
186:
178:
170:
162:
145:
123:
116:
646:Pittsburgh in Stages: Two Hundred Years of Theater
207:(August 6, 1941 – March 16, 2003) was an American
768:Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) alumni
708:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
448:Good Quick Feel-and Then We Build upon a Plan, A
223:. Penny wrote more than 30 plays and 300 poems.
648:. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press.
8:
51:introducing citations to additional sources
289:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
113:
309:Learn how and when to remove this message
738:American male dramatists and playwrights
478:Reflections: Rob Penny’s Forum in Flight
41:Relevant discussion may be found on the
539:
758:21st-century African-American writers
753:20th-century African-American writers
7:
287:adding citations to reliable sources
748:20th-century American male writers
438:Diane's Heart Dries Out Still More
14:
235:, on August 6, 1941. He moved to
728:University of Pittsburgh faculty
683:Internet Archive Wayback Machine
674:Internet Archive Wayback Machine
670:Kuntu Repertory Theatre Homepage
259:
34:relies largely or entirely on a
23:
498:Sun Rising on the Hill District
601:Dyer, Ervin (March 18, 2003).
574:Dyer, Ervin (March 18, 2003).
547:Dyer, Ervin (March 18, 2003).
1:
763:African-American male writers
463:Little Willie Armstrong Jones
733:People from Opelika, Alabama
743:20th-century American poets
483:Republic of New Africa, The
383:was also directed by King.
345:In 1968, he and his friend
325:that spoke to street life.
784:
408:Boppin' With The Ancestors
341:Theatrical contributions
331:University of Pittsburgh
237:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
156:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
723:Writers from Pittsburgh
488:Slow Lives On A Humdrum
433:Depths of Her Star, The
423:Dance of the Blues Dead
351:Kuntu Repertory Theatre
718:African-American poets
644:Conner, Lynne (2007).
443:Good Black Don't Crack
205:Robert Lee "Rob" Penny
174:African American Drama
528:Who Loves the Dancer
453:Killin’ and Chillin’
283:improve this section
47:improve this article
713:American male poets
513:Uhh Survival Energy
166:Writer and academic
679:Plays by Rob Penny
428:Deeds of Blackness
371:Playwright credits
231:Penny was born in
655:978-0-8229-4330-3
473:Night of the Hawk
319:
318:
311:
202:
201:
182:Timau Betty Penny
112:
111:
97:
775:
659:
631:
625:
619:
618:
616:
614:
598:
592:
591:
589:
587:
571:
565:
564:
562:
560:
544:
493:Sugar and Thomas
468:Nefertari Rising
381:Nefertari Rising
314:
307:
303:
300:
294:
263:
255:
233:Opelika, Alabama
152:
139:Opelika, Alabama
135:
133:
127:Robert Lee Penny
114:
107:
104:
98:
96:
55:
27:
19:
783:
782:
778:
777:
776:
774:
773:
772:
688:
687:
666:
656:
643:
640:
635:
634:
626:
622:
612:
610:
600:
599:
595:
585:
583:
573:
572:
568:
558:
556:
546:
545:
541:
536:
389:
377:Woodie King Jr.
373:
343:
315:
304:
298:
295:
280:
264:
253:
229:
217:social activist
154:
150:
141:, United States
137:
131:
129:
128:
119:
108:
102:
99:
56:
54:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
781:
779:
771:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
690:
689:
686:
685:
676:
665:
664:External links
662:
661:
660:
654:
639:
636:
633:
632:
620:
593:
566:
538:
537:
535:
532:
531:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
503:Take on a Life
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
400:
395:
388:
387:Selected plays
385:
372:
369:
342:
339:
317:
316:
267:
265:
258:
252:
249:
228:
225:
200:
199:
196:
192:
191:
188:
184:
183:
180:
176:
175:
172:
168:
167:
164:
160:
159:
153:(aged 61)
149:March 16, 2003
147:
143:
142:
136:August 6, 1941
125:
121:
120:
117:
110:
109:
45:. Please help
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
780:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
695:
693:
684:
680:
677:
675:
671:
668:
667:
663:
657:
651:
647:
642:
641:
637:
629:
624:
621:
608:
604:
597:
594:
581:
577:
570:
567:
554:
550:
543:
540:
533:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
399:
396:
394:
391:
390:
386:
384:
382:
378:
370:
368:
366:
361:
357:
354:
352:
348:
347:August Wilson
340:
338:
334:
332:
326:
322:
313:
310:
302:
292:
288:
284:
278:
277:
273:
268:This section
266:
262:
257:
256:
251:Academic life
250:
248:
246:
242:
241:Hill District
238:
234:
226:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
165:
161:
157:
148:
144:
140:
126:
122:
115:
106:
95:
92:
88:
85:
81:
78:
74:
71:
67:
64: –
63:
59:
58:Find sources:
52:
48:
44:
38:
37:
36:single source
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
16:American poet
645:
623:
611:. Retrieved
609:. Pittsburgh
607:Post-Gazette
606:
596:
584:. Retrieved
582:. Pittsburgh
580:Post-Gazette
579:
569:
557:. Retrieved
555:. Pittsburgh
553:Post-Gazette
552:
542:
527:
522:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
482:
477:
472:
467:
462:
457:
452:
447:
442:
437:
432:
427:
422:
417:
412:
407:
402:
397:
392:
380:
374:
365:heart attack
362:
358:
355:
344:
335:
327:
323:
320:
305:
296:
281:Please help
269:
230:
204:
203:
151:(2003-03-16)
100:
90:
83:
76:
69:
57:
33:
703:2003 deaths
698:1941 births
413:Clean Drums
403:Blue Yonder
360:Penny Day.
299:August 2022
103:August 2022
62:"Rob Penny"
692:Categories
613:October 2,
586:October 2,
559:October 2,
534:References
518:Up to Life
227:Early life
209:playwright
163:Occupation
132:1941-08-06
73:newspapers
458:Life Rise
270:does not
221:professor
195:Relatives
118:Rob Penny
43:talk page
523:Way, The
418:Coon Can
398:Bad News
187:Children
638:Sources
508:Trip, A
291:removed
276:sources
87:scholar
652:
219:, and
179:Spouse
158:, U.S.
89:
82:
75:
68:
60:
171:Genre
94:JSTOR
80:books
681:vis
672:via
650:ISBN
615:2005
588:2005
561:2005
274:any
272:cite
213:poet
146:Died
124:Born
66:news
285:by
239:'s
49:by
694::
605:.
578:.
551:.
215:,
211:,
658:.
617:.
590:.
563:.
312:)
306:(
301:)
297:(
293:.
279:.
134:)
130:(
105:)
101:(
91:·
84:·
77:·
70:·
53:.
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
