Milner, Ron
May 29, 1938 – July 9, 2004
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Principle Residence: Detroit, MI
Biography:
Ron Milner never abandoned his native hometown Detroit, MI. His experience as an African-American growing up in an era of racial tension stayed with him all his life. As a young man he attended Highland Park Junior College, Detroit Institute of Technology, and Columbia University of New York. At age nineteen Milner met Woodie King, Jr. who encouraged his friend the short play, American Agony, which the two performed in a small coffee shop. The men continued collaborating for forty-four years. Milner wrote plays for the Concepts East Theater (founded by King in 1959). The same theater produced other famous writers of the Black Arts Movement such as Ed Bullins, Ben Caldwell, Amiri Baraka, and J.E. Franklin. When employed as a writer in residence at Lincoln University, Milner was encouraged to write by his friend Langston Hughes to use a more personal voice in his writing. During this time his writing matured, and Milner gradually came to be known at the “people’s playwright” for his ceaseless commitment in using Black theater for the advancement of Black people. Several of his plays enjoyed great success, including Checkmates, which starred Denzel Washington and Paul Winfield, and What the Wine-Sellers Buy, which earned over a million dollars. In addition to writing many plays, Milner was a director, critic, and editor. He taught creative writing at the University of Southern California from 1979 – 1981 before moving back to Detroit. Milner worked hard to establish regional-level Black theater in Michigan and to educate children by using theater. Milner died of liver cancer in 2004.
Selected Works:
- Don’t Get God Started (1987)
- Crack Steppin’ (1981)
- Season’s Reasons (1976)
- Who’s Got His Own (1966)
- What the Wine-Sellers Buy (1974)
- Black Short Story Anthology (1972)
Awards:
- Rockefeller Grant
- John Hay Whitney Fellowship
- Checkmates performed on Broadway
- What the Wine-Sellers Buy first play by an African American produced by Joseph Papp at the New York Shakespeare Festival at Lincoln Center
Critical Reception:
“It [What the Wine-Sellers Buy] is an interesting play and deserves a wider circulation…Mr. Milner’s picture of the Detroit ghetto has that special authority that infallibly suggests authenticity, and his story of a black kid finally resisting the temptation to become a pimp is satisfyingly moral.’‘
- Clives Barnes of The New York Times
“Detroit is to the Black Theater movement what New Orleans is to jazz, because of the contributions of three men: Lloyd Richards; Woodie King; and Ron Milner.”
- August Wilson
“Ron Milner, a native Detroit writer, is one of the most produced and highly respected African American playwrights. Since the 1960s his works have become staples of African American theaters around the country”
—Bill Harris, Wayne State University
Relevance of Place to Author’s Work:
Milner received his inspiration and dedication from his hometown, Detroit. According to Milner, he found more clarity and creativity in this environment. He worked tirelessly towards the advancement of Black people through theater.