Diana Sands
Encyclopedia
Diana Sands was an American
dramatic actress, perhaps most famous for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger, the sister of Sidney Poitier
's character in the original film version of Lorraine Hansberry
's Raisin in the Sun (1961). She also appeared in a number of dramatic television series in the sixties and seventies such as I Spy, as Davala Unawa in the 1967 The Fugitive
episode "Dossier on a Diplomat", and Julia
. Sands also co-starred with Alan Alda
in the original Broadway production of The Owl and the Pussycat (1964), later filmed with Barbra Streisand
and George Segal
.
She was set to star in the film Claudine
(1974) with James Earl Jones
, however, she was too ill to accept the role and it went to her friend Diahann Carroll. She was twice nominated for a Tony Award
, and twice nominated for an Emmy Award
as well.
She died of leiomyosarcoma
at aged 39.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
dramatic actress, perhaps most famous for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger, the sister of Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
's character in the original film version of Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry
Lorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
's Raisin in the Sun (1961). She also appeared in a number of dramatic television series in the sixties and seventies such as I Spy, as Davala Unawa in the 1967 The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
episode "Dossier on a Diplomat", and Julia
Julia (TV series)
Julia is an American sitcom notable for being one of the first weekly series to depict an African American woman in a non-stereotypical role. Previous television series featured African American lead characters, but the characters were usually servants. The show starred actress and singer Diahann...
. Sands also co-starred with Alan Alda
Alan Alda
Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo , better known as Alan Alda, is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and author. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for his role as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series M*A*S*H...
in the original Broadway production of The Owl and the Pussycat (1964), later filmed with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
and George Segal
George Segal
George Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,...
.
She was set to star in the film Claudine
Claudine (film)
Claudine is a 1974 American film produced by Third World Films and released to theatres by 20th Century Fox. Starring James Earl Jones, Diahann Carroll, and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Claudine was written by Lester Pine and Tina Pine, and directed by John Berry...
(1974) with James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, however, she was too ill to accept the role and it went to her friend Diahann Carroll. She was twice nominated for a Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
, and twice nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
as well.
She died of leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcoma , aka LMS, is a malignant cancer of smooth muscle....
at aged 39.
Theatre
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The Gingham Dog | John Golden Theatre John Golden Theatre The John Golden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 252 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan. Designed in a Moorish style along with the adjacent Royale Theatre by architect Herbert J. Krapp for Irwin Chanin, it opened as the Theatre Masque on February 24 1927 with the play Puppets of Passion... |
||
| 1968 | Saint Joan Saint Joan (play) Saint Joan is a play by George Bernard Shaw, based on the life and trial of Joan of Arc. Published not long after the canonization of Joan of Arc by the Roman Catholic Church, the play dramatises what is known of her life based on the substantial records of her trial. Shaw studied the transcripts... |
Joan | Vivian Beaumont Theatre Vivian Beaumont Theatre The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian... |
|
| Tiger at the Gates | Cassandra | Vivian Beaumont Theatre Vivian Beaumont Theatre The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian... |
||
| We Bombed in New Haven | Ruth | Ambassador Theatre Ambassador Theatre Ambassador Theatre can refer to:* Ambassador Theatre * Ambassador Theatre * Ambassador Theatre * Ambassadors Theatre... |
||
| 1965 | The Premise | The Premise | Improvisational theatre with material by the performers. | |
| 1964 | Blues for Mister Charlie Blues for Mister Charlie Blues for Mister Charlie is James Baldwin's second play. It was published in 1964. It is dedicated to the memory of Medgar Evers, and his widow and his children, and to the memory of the dead children of Birmingham."- Plot introduction :... |
Juanita | ANTA Playhouse | Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... nomination, Best Featured Actress in a Play |
| The Owl and the Pussycat The Owl and the Pussycat "The Owl and the Pussycat" is a nonsense poem by Edward Lear, first published in 1871.- Background :Lear wrote the poem for a three-year-old girl, Janet Symonds, the daughter of Lear's friend poet John Addington Symonds and his wife Catherine Symonds... |
Doris W. | ANTA Playhouse Royale Theatre |
Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... nomination, Best Actress in a Play |
|
| 1963 | The Living Premise | Obie Award Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given by The Village Voice newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City... , Distinguished Performance |
||
| 1962 | Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright | Adelaide Smith | Booth Theatre Booth Theatre The Booth Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 222 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan, New York City.Architect Henry B. Herts designed the Booth and its companion Shubert Theatre as a back-to-back pair sharing a Venetian Renaissance-style façade... |
Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... |
| 1959 | A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes... |
Beneatha Younger | Ethel Barrymore Theatre Ethel Barrymore Theatre The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 243 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan, named for actress Ethel Barrymore.... Belasco Theatre Belasco Theatre The Belasco Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 111 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan.-History:Designed by architect George Keister for impresario David Belasco, the interior featured Tiffany lighting and ceiling panels, rich woodwork and expansive murals by American artist... |
Outer Critics Circle Award, Best Drama Performance |