Don Evans, Playwright and Professor Who Penned One Monkey Don't Stop No Show, Dead at 65
By Kenneth Jones
27 Oct 2003
Don Evans, a playwright whose works about the African-American experience were produced around the country, died Oct. 16 at his home in Merchantsville, New Jersey, according to The New York Times.
Mr. Evans as 65 and died of a heart attack. Over the years he had seen his plays produced by Crossroads Theatre Company in New Jersey and the New Federal Theatre in New York City.
His plays include One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (not be confused with the song of the same title), It's Showdown Time (reportedly based on The Taming of the Shrew), A Lovesong for Miss Lydia, Blues for a Gospel Queen, The Prodigals, The Trials and Tribulations of Staggerlee Brown and the one-acts Orrin and Sugar-Mouth Sam Don't Dance No More.
Mr. Evans was born in Philadelphia and graduated from what would become Cheyney University of Pennsylvania in 1962. He earned a master's degree in 1968 and a master of fine arts degree in 1972.
He was department chair of African American studies at the College of New Jersey in Trenton and also taught at Princeton and Rutgers over the years. He was a founder of Trenton's Players Company.
He is survived by two sons, a daughter, his mother and seven grandchildren.
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