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Actor Harold X. Evans brought Black theater to life in N.O. [1]
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Date: 2025-06-20
Anyone who saw an August Wilson play at the Anthony Bean Community Theater and Acting School, or ABCT, in New Orleans had the pleasure of witnessing a performance by Harold X. Evans.
Whether it was “Joe Turner’s Come & Gone” or “Two Trains Running,” Evans demonstrated why he was called the “Dean of Black Theater.”
The actor and stage director died Monday (June 16). He was 79.
Evans “was one of the original actors recognized as a Wilsonian actor at ABCT and shared his creative genius with the entire theater community in New Orleans,” ABCT founder Anthony Bean wrote this week. He “was a master of his craft and a pioneering figure in Black theater in New Orleans.”
Born in 1945, Evans was a mental health counselor for more than 35 years. He acted for 35 years, directed stage productions for 10 years and directed and hosted public affairs TV programs for six years.
In addition, Evans appeared in films: “Double Jeopardy” (1999), “The Great Debaters” (2007) and “The Final Destination” (2009). In 2013, he directed “The Mountaintop” for ABCT. Written by Katori Hall, the production explores the last night Martin Luther King Jr. spent in the Lorraine Motel.
New Orleans City Councilmember Oliver Thomas wrote that Evans was one of the city’s great actors. “I was honored to share the stage with him in several productions.”
A New Orleans reception honoring Evans is scheduled July 10 from 1- 4 p.m. at NOLA Skyline Event Center – Lake Room, 10001 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 1100.
“He shared his creative genius with the entire theater community in New Orleans,” Bean added. “To this day, I have not encountered a New Orleanian as passionate as he is about exploring and defining the essence of Black Theater.
“We mourn the loss of such a giant.”
For more tales from New Orleans history, visit the Back in the Day archives.
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