Merris Shirley Prendergast (June 15, 1929 – February 26, 2019) was a theater lighting designer notable for being the first African-American woman admitted to the

United Scenic Artists United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, formerly known as United Scenic Artists of America (USAA), is an American labor union. It is a nationwide autonomous Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. It organizes designers ...

’ lighting division in 1969. She was also the first African-American woman lighting designer on Broadway in 1973. Prendergast designed lighting for Broadway shows such as ''

Waltz of the Stork ''Waltz of the Stork'' is a 1982 American semi-autobiographical play written and originally performed by Melvin Van Peebles. It also featured his son Mario Van Peebles. The play originally ran for four months in 1982. It ran from January 5, 1982 ...

'', '' Amen Corner'', and the

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplishments and for h ...

one-man show. She designed lighting for fifty years, well into her mid-80s. One of her last productions was ''Zora Neale Hurston: a Theatrical Biography'' in 2016.

Early life

Prendergast was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Dorita and Wilford Prendergast. She grew up in Boston and New York. She studied microbiology at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls nearly 14,000 students on a campus in the Midwood and Flatbush sections of Brooklyn as of fall ...

, where she received her

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in 1954. She worked as a bacteriologist with the

New York City Health Department The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (also known as NYC Health) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for public health along with issuing birth certificates, dog licenses, and conducting restaura ...

and focused on her art when not at work. Prendergast took a lighting design class at the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) with Nicola Cernovich, a designer with Alvin Ailey's dance troupe. She then went on to study lighting at Lester Polakov's Studio of Stage Design. One of her first jobs was as a lighting designer for the

Negro Ensemble Company The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) is a New York City-based theater company and workshop established in 1967 by producer-actor Robert Hooks, playwright Douglas Turner Ward, and theater manager Gerald S. Krone, with funding from the Ford Foundatio ...

; one of their shows, ''

The River Niger ''The River Niger'' is a play by Joseph A. Walker, first performed by New York City's Negro Ensemble Company off-Broadway in 1972. The production made its Broadway debut with a transfer to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on 27 March 1973 for a run of ...

'', went on to Broadway where she became established in her new career.

Awards and honors

* AUDELCO Award for Lighting Design (1974) *AUDELCO Award for Lighting Design for ''Unfinished Women...'' (1977) *

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for Sustained Excellence in Lighting Design (1997) * Winona Lee Fletcher Award from the Black Theatre Network (1998) *AUDELCO Award for Lighting Design for ''The Dance on Widow's Row'' (2000) *AUDELCO Award for Lighting Design for ''Knock Me a Kiss'' (2011) "Lia Chang: Knock Me a Kiss Sweeps Audelcos with 9 Wins Including Best Dramatic Play, André De Shields, Marie Thomas, Charles Smith and Chuck Smith". ''Backstage Pass with Lia Chang''. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2020-11-20 *

United States Institute for Theatre Technology The United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) is a membership organization which aims to advance the skills and knowledge of theatre, entertainment and performing arts professionals involved in the areas of design, production and tec ...

’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prendergast, Shirley 1932 births 2019 deaths American lighting designers Obie Award recipients 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people People from Boston