Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Leone, Leonard
Leonard Leone, who established a competitive and nationally known theatre program at Wayne State University, was born on September 13, 1914 in Highland Park, Michigan to Italian immigrant parents. After Leone graduated from Berkley High School in in 1933, he went on to obtain both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Wayne State University. He furthered his education at the University of Wisconsin and the University of Florence in Italy.
Leone taught speech in Detroit Public Schools for five years before he became a speech professor at Wayne State University in 1945. He was also appointed to be Director of Theatre at WSU at this time.
Leone worked at WSU for 40 years. During that time, he traveled to India with the WSU theatre department, restored the Bonstelle Theatre, and formed the Hilberry Theatre’s unique graduate repertory company. The troupe is composed of 40-50 graduate students who are pursuing degrees in the theatrical field, who put on several performances each year. Leone also founded a black theater program and touring company, as well as a children’s theatre touring company. He also developed four international tours that were sponsored by the U.S. government.
Leonard Leone has held many prestigious positions including vice president for programs of the American Theatre Association from 1980-82, and chairman of the American College Theatre Festival Central Committee. Leone was presented the American College Theatre Festival’s Gold Medallion Award of Excellence by Amoco Corporation in February 1979. In that same year, Leone also formed the International Symposium for the Reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe.
Though he retired in 1985, Leone continued to attend performances by the WSU theatre department until shortly before his death on June 5, 2007.
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