Esther Merle Jackson

Esther Merle Jackson (September 3, 1922 – August 1, 2006) was an American theatrical historian and director. Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, she originally taught at historically black colleges and universities and was one of the first Black women in the United States to get a PhD in Theatre and worked as Director of Education at the New York Shakespeare Festival, before becoming a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Theatre and Drama. She was an expert in the works of Tennessee Williams, writing the book The Broken World of Tennessee Williams in 1965, and she and John Ezell collaborated on several theatrical productions, including a half-hour compilation of plays from Thornton Wilder broadcast on PBS in 1978.