Connelly, Marc (1890-1980), wrote The Green Pastures (1930), perhaps America’s most popular religious drama. The play has an all-Black cast and is written in the dialect of Southern Black people. It takes place in heaven, and God (called “De Lawd”) is the chief character. “De Lawd” changes from the Old Testament God of wrath to a God of mercy. The play is filled with humor and the recognition of human dignity. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1930.
Connelly and George S. Kaufman earlier collaborated to write several lively, satirical comedies. Dulcy (1921), the best of their comedies, brought stardom to actress Lynn Fontanne. But their most significant collaboration was Beggar on Horseback (1924), an expressionistic dream play adapted from a German script. The play shows the forces in everyday life that oppose the creative person.
Marcus Cook Connelly was born on Dec. 13, 1890, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He died on Dec. 21, 1980.
