November 8, 2006
Once again the San Antonio theatre community
has suffered a great loss. Sterling Houston, one of the founding members of
SATCO, passed away this morning after a long illness. We will all miss his
talent, intelligence, wit and passion. He was a fearless supporter of good
and innovative theatre. We knew him as one of San Antonio’s finest
playwrights and actors, but also as a kind and giving friend. He will be
greatly missed.
Allan S. Ross
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Nov.
18 at
Holy Redeemer Church at 1819 Nevada.
In lieu of
flowers, Jump-Start Performance Co. will be accepting donations towards a fund
for the preservation/production of his amazing body of work.
If you have any thoughts you'd like to share on
this page,
please email playbill@satheatre.com
Memories
I
first remember meeting Sterling at the 1982 revival of the Cornyation. He
was wearing a studded collar that was attached by a chain to a dominatrix
who demanded "powder me" and presented her butt to be powdered.( I meekly
powdered her). Sterling said that we had met before but didn't
elaborate.
I next met Sterling when he was in the 1985 production of "A
Member of the Wedding" at the Harlequin Dinner Theatre. This production
featured Gert Baker and Debbie Basham and Sterling as Honey Boy. In my
estimation, a truly remarkable show.
I am glad to have known Sterling and considered him to be my
friend. He was an original and singular personality who met the world on his
own terms. I will remember him not with tears but with laughter and poetry.
Chris Champlin
My first memory of Sterling was the fine performance he gave in the role
of Honey Boy in MEMBER OF THE WEDDING. That was at Harlequin Dinner Theatre
in the winter of 1985, and it was always a pleasure to work with him, and
also to see him out in the world.
Florence Bunten
Sterling Houston was a dear, kind, talented gentleman who
will be missed by The Renaissance Guild. We had the pleasure to co-produce his
premiere of The Living Graves which was our opening play for the 2005 -
2006 season and we also proudly produced one of his one
act plays Miz Johnson & Mr. Jones for our ActOne
Series.Sterling was a positive person and a
wealth of knowledge, the San Antonio community will be lacking without his
presence.
We extend our prayers to his family.Sincerely,
Paul Riddle, Jr.
Sterling
Houston -- legendary experimental playwright, editor of PlayWorks,
and Artistic Director of Jump-Start. Photo by Joan Fredericks.
About Sterling Houston:
Sterling Houston is a prolific and innovative African-American writer living
in San Antonio. During a long career in professional theater as performer
and writer in San Antonio, New York and San Francisco, he has worked with
some of the greatest practitioners of modern American theater, including
Charles Ludlum, Sam Shepard, and George C. Wolfe. Houston's plays are known
for biting social commentary, combined with burlesque humor and for his
mastery of genres. A winner of numerous awards and honors, Houston has
premiered twenty-one plays since 1988. He is currently artistic director and
writer-in-residence for Jump-Start Performance Co.
At left, Ruby Nelda Perez
as Rosita in "Rosita's Day of the Dead," by Rodrigo Duarte Clark. In center,
Brigette Williams as Governor Kinkaid and LeBron Benton as Saffronia in "Womandingo,"
by Sterling Houston. At right, Paul Bonin-Rodriguez in "Memory's Caretaker,"
by Paul Bonin-Rodriguez.
borrowed from:
http://www.wingspress.com/Titles/JumpStart_PlayWorks.html
Links
Jump-Start
Jump-Start Playworks
Amazon.com
