Mystery Behind Paul Carter Harrison's Death; Famed Theatrical Scholar, Playwright was 85

Paul Carter Harrison, a theatrical scholar, and playwright, has passed away at the age of 85, his daughter recently confirmed.

Speaking to the New York Times, his daughter, Fonteyn Harrison, confirmed the tragic news, saying her father died on December 27. He spent his last days at a retirement home in Atlanta, Georgia.

At the time of this writing, his cause of death remains a mystery.

Harrison had a tremendous career throughout his life as he was a pioneering playwright, and his works were considered a staple within the Black community.

Per the newspaper, the playwright's works like essays, plays, and more provided a "theoretical structure for the Black performing arts."

He became a staple to the community because he incorporated African ritual and myth elements into his written works.

When asked to characterize his career in a previous interview, Harrison described it as "a continuous preoccupation with trying to retrieve out of this particular experience we call the American experience some traces of our Africanness in the work that we do."

Harrison spent his early days in New York City; he was born on March 1, 1936, and grew up in Manhattan.

He became aware of New York's theatre culture at an early age. He also mingled with some of the best people in the field, like artists, writers, and musicians.

According to WSB-TV2 Atlanta, Harrison went to Indiana University for his education, where he earned a degree in psychology.

Later on, he was enrolled at NYC's New School for Social Research. His educational background did not stop there as he moved to Europe to write and direct for theatre.

He came back to the United States years later, where he found a career at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he taught theatre to students.

Among his students were prominent artists such as Clinton Turner Davis, Phylicia Rashad, Debbie Allen, and many more.

His teaching career did not stop at Howard University, as he also taught students at California State University, Sacramento, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Columbia College Chicago.

The musical play "The Great MacDaddy" was written by Harrison, which led him to snag the coveted Obie Award in 1973.

His other works include "Tabernacle," which won the Best Creative Musical for the Audelco Awards, "The Drama of Nommo," and many more.

Survivors include his wife, Wanda Harrison; daughter, Fonteyn Harrison; and grandson, Nigel Plattel.