Samuel Harps

Samuel interned at New York's New Dramatist, studying with noted playwrights August Wilson and Charles Oyamo Gordon. He was later accepted as a member of the prestigious Negro Ensemble Company playwright's program. Samuel’s first major production Don't Explain was staged at New York's famed Nuyorican Poet's Cafe. The explosive drama on the death of trumpeter Lee Morgan went on to receive seven AUDELCO Awards, including best play and playwright. Samuel also received The Arts Council of Rockland County Executive Award for Literary Artist.
New York productions include; The Paul Roberson Theater, The National Black Theater, The Billie Holiday Theater, Theater for the New City, Theater Four, Duality Playhouse, and HERE Theater. Regional productions include; Rutgers University, (Newark) The Christina Cultural Arts Center (Wilmington, DEL) The Painted Bride and Bushfire Theaters, (both in Philadelphia) EXIT Theater, (San Francisco) and Vision Theater, Los Angeles.
Samuel is the founder and artist director of Shades Repertory Theater and past Artistic Director of the Haverstraw Youth Theater.