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Len Peterson

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(Redirected from Len Peterson (playwright))
For the Australian rules footballer, see Len Peterson (footballer).

Leonard Byron Peterson (March 15, 1917 – February 28, 2008) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.[1]

He[clarification needed] wrote more than a thousand different dramatic works for film, radio stage, and television.[1]

Early life and education

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A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Peterson attended Luther College in Regina; Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; and served in the Canadian Infantry Corps during World War II.[1]

Career

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His career started in 1939 when he sold a script to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; one of his earliest successes was the radio play They're All Afraid (1944), which was written for the CBC Radio program Stage '44.[2] The play received much criticism for depicting life in Canada negatively at a time when it was thought that boosting wartime morale was more appropriate. They're All Afraid went on to win the award for best drama in a broadcasting festival in Ohio. It was later adapted by Peterson for the stage.

In addition to his writing, Peterson was a key figure in the establishment of both the trade union ACTRA and the charity Playwrights Guild of Canada.[1]

Award

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He was the winner of ACTRA's John Drainie Award for distinguished lifetime contributions to Canadian broadcasting at the 3rd ACTRA Awards in 1974.[3]

Novels

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  • Chipmunk (1949)

Plays

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  • Burlap Bags (1960)
  • The Great Hunger (1960)
  • Look Ahead! (1962)
  • All About Us (1963)
  • Almighty Voice (1970)
  • Women in the Attic (1971)
  • The Workingman (1972)
  • Let's Make a World (1973)
  • Billy Bishop and the Red Baron (1975)
  • Your World on a Plastic Platter (1976)
  • Etienne Brule (1977)
  • They're All Afraid (1980)
  • Eye of the Storm (1985)

Radio shows

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Screenplays

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  • It's Fun to Sing (1948)
  • Passport to Canada (1949)
  • Iron from the North (1955)

Television shows

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Colin Boyd, "Leonard Byron Peterson". The Canadian Encyclopedia, November 1, 2011.
  2. ^ Anne Nothof, "Peterson, Len". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, October 24, 2014.
  3. ^ Nelson, James (March 4, 1974). "The Women Walk Off with ACTRA Awards". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
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