Stanley French, one of the Caribbean\u2019s leading playwrights has died. \u00a0Born in 1937 in Castries, Saint Lucia, he attended the Methodist Primary School and St. Mary\u2019s College, following which he moved to London where he completed the Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering at the University of London in 1962.<\/p>\n
In London, during the 1960\u2019s, he was exposed to international literature, theatre and cinema, both modern and traditional. London was then a Caribbean intellectual hub nurturing writers and students grappling with issues of Caribbean self-determination and development. The city was a vibrant centre with many professional and \u201cfringe\u201d theatres, cinemas, bookshops and associated facilities.<\/p>\n
French\u2019s attraction to theatre began after he saw a St. Lucia Arts Guild performance of Derek Walcott\u2019s play,\u00a0The Sea at Dauphin\u00a0<\/em>at his alma mater the Methodist Primary School in the mid-1950s. It was directed by Roderick Walcott and determined his lifelong interest in grappling with the craft of playwriting.\u00a0 London gave him opportunities to see performances by some of the world\u2019s leading theatre companies. He developed a particular admiration for the work of the ancient Greek writers of tragedy, Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides.<\/p>\n