NEW YORK, June 30 (UPI) -- Lloyd Richards, a pioneering black director who became one of the most influential people in the U.S. theater, died on his 87th birthday this week.
Richards' son told The New York Times he died of heart failure in New York.
A native of Toronto, Richards grew up in Detroit and became interested in theater in high school, although he studied law at Wayne State University.
He made his Broadway debut in 1959, directing Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play "A Raisin In the Sun." The play received a standing ovation on opening night and ran for more than a year.
Richards was known for the playwrights he nurtured, ranging from Hansberry and August Wilson to Wendy Wasserstein and David Henry Hwang. He also helped introduce the work of the South African playwright Athol Fugard to the United States.
Richards headed the National Playwrights Conference at the O'Neill Center in Waterford, Conn., for many years.
"Lloyd was a consummate teacher, but when it really comes down to it, when you look at his legacy, it's new playwrights," said George C. White, the founder of the O'Neill Center.
