Charlotte Zaltzberg

Charlotte Zaltzberg (born Charlotte Singer; April 25, 1924 – February 24, 1974) was nominated for a Tony Award in 1974 for co-writing the book for the 1973 Broadway musical Raisin, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1974. She worked with Robert Nemiroff, Lorraine Hansberry's former husband and the executor of her estate, on adaptations of Hansberry's work for theater productions.

Early life

Zaltzberg was born in The Bronx, New York, the youngest of six children. Her parents, Ida and Harry, came from Poland and settled in the Bronx, and Harry worked in a jewelry shop on Hester Street. She played the piano by ear, sang, and danced. Zaltzberg's older sister Sadie took her to the theater. Sadie married Joseph Stein, the bookwriter of the hit Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof among others, and together they educated Zaltzberg about theater and developed her interest in writing. During the creation of Fiddler, Stein sent Zaltzberg the script for her input. Aside from Stein, Zaltzberg was influenced by the writer Sean O’Casey. She read poetry, such as Shakespeare, Millay, Dickinson, and Yeats, and loved the Group Theatre, Paul Robeson, and Mark Blitzstein.

Illness and death

During Raisin's run at Arena Stage, Zaltzberg was diagnosed with inoperable breast cancer. Her health declined immediately after Raisin opening in October, and she died on February 24, 1974 at the age of 49. The Raisin cast, crew, and producers participated in a memorial for her. The cast sang songs from the show, including the song “Measure the Valleys.”

After her death, Nemiroff wrote a letter to investors in which he informed those who were not aware that Zaltzberg had died. He wrote: “She was a woman of enormous talent and unfailing zest, with a rare and extraordinary competence appreciated by all who knew and loved her. There is a void that cannot be filled, but we will carry on in the tradition of unflagging spirit which Charlotte reflected. To Be Young, Gifted and Black; Sidney Brustein; Les Blancs: and now Raisin—to all of which she gave her creativity—are monuments to that spirit.”