Pearl Cleage is an African-American playwright, essayist, novelist, poet and political activist. She is currently the Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre and at the Just Us Theater Company. Cleage is a political activist. She tackles issues at the crux of racism and sexism and is known for her feminist views, particularly regarding her identity as an African-American woman.
Cleage’s works are highly anthologized and have been the subject of many scholarly analyses. Many of her works across several genres have earned both popular and critical acclaim. Her novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day (1997) was a 1998 Oprah’s Book Club selection.
Early life
| Name | Pearl Cleage |
| Net Worth | $2 million |
| Occupation | Playwright, Essayist, Novelist, Poet, political activist |
| Age | 73 years |
| Height | 1.68m |
Pearl Cleage was born on December 7, 1948 (age 73 years) in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. She is the younger of two daughters of Doris Cleage (née Graham), an elementary school teacher, and Rev. Albert Cleage, founder of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church and the Shrine of the Black Madonna.
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Cleage’s father changed his name to Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman in conjunction with the founding of his church. After backlash resulting from her father’s radical teachings, the family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where Rev. Cleage became a prominent civil rights leader. Within his church and as a political activist, he fostered a community of black empowerment.
She grew up surrounded by activists in her own family and community. Pearl Cleage listened to writers speaking at her father’s church and met prominent figures of the Civil Rights Movement as they stopped by her house on their way to rallies, both of which were experiences that shaped her future aspirations and career.
In an article by Cassandra Spratling, Cleage is described as having been a “curious child,” always seeking out a story. She knew that she wanted to write since she was two years old. Cleage graduated from Detroit Public Schools in 1966. From 1966-1969, Cleage enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C where she studied playwriting and produced two one-act plays as a student.
In 1969 Pearl Cleage moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she married politician Michael Lomax, whom she later divorced in 1979. In Atlanta, she attended Spelman College, where she attained a bachelor’s degree in drama in 1971. Upon graduation from Spelman, Cleage enrolled in graduate school at Atlanta University.
Career
Pearl Cleage always knew she wanted to be a writer and has maintained her career for 40 years. She has made contributions to the literary world through several mediums as a playwright, essayist, novelist and poet. She takes pride in her ability to write across different genres and enjoys doing so.
Prior to pursuing a career in creative writing, in the 1970s, Pearl Cleage was the press secretary and speechwriter for Mayn ard Jackson, Atlanta’s first Black Mayor. However, she felt constrained in this role as a writer because she was writing the thoughts of someone else. This dissatisfaction prompted her to leave this job and pursue becoming an author.
Pearl Cleage has held positions at multiple theaters and institutions; from 1986-1991, Cleage was a Cosby Endowed Chair professor at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She was dubbed the Playwright in Residence at Spelman in 1991. She also spent some time teaching at Smith College. Cleage holds positions as the Playwright in Residence and artistic director of the Just Us Theater Company.
In 2013, Cleage became the Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta through the National Playwright Residency Program funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by HowlRound. The initial three-year term was renewed for an additional three years in 2016. Cleage is documenting her residency with frequent writings in the HowlRound journal.
Not only is Cleage a member of the relatively small group of African American female playwrights, but it is made even smaller by her age and notable contributions to major theaters. Cleage had her introduction to playwriting in the 1980s, producing her first play, Puppetplay, in 1981, which was followed by Hospice (1983), Good News (1984) and Essentials (1985).
In the 1990s, she produced three of her most well-known works (Flyin’ West (1992), Blues for an Alabama Sky (1995) and Bourbon at the Border (1997)) at the Alliance Theatre in partnership with artistic director Kenny Leon. Flyin’ West (1992) has since surpassed a dozen productions all over the country, including a run at the Kennedy Center and other notable productions in New York and Atlanta; it was the most produced new play in 1994.
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In 1996, Blues for an Alabama Sky (1995) was performed as part of the Cultural Olympiad coinciding with the Summer Olympics held in Atlanta that year. Pearl Cleage has also made significant journalistic contributions and is the founder of the literary magazine Catalyst and has been its editor since 1987. In the 1990s, she had a recurring column in the Atlanta Tribune called “Stop Making Sense.”
Pearl Cleage has also had articles published in other major newspapers and magazines, including Essence and The New York Times Book Review. Cleage started writing novels in the mid-1990s. She notably writes about topics at the intersection of sexism and racism, specifically on issues such as domestic violence and rape in the black community.
She has been a supporter of the Obama administration. Cleage is an activ ist for AIDS and women’s rights, experiences from which she draws for her writings. She also speaks at colleges, universities, and conferences on topics including domestic violence, the citizen’s role in a participatory democracy, and writing topics.
Pearl Cleage net worth
How much is Pearl Cleage worth? Pearl Cleage net worth is estimated at around $2 million. Her main source of income is from her primary work as a Novelist, essayist, playwright and poet. Pearl Cleage’s salary per month and other career earnings are over $400,000 dollars annually. Her remarkable achievements have earned her some luxurious lifestyles and some fancy car trips. She is one of the richest and most influential playwrights in the United States. Cleage stands at an appealing height of 1.68m and has a good body weight which suits her personality.