Rickabaugh, Clive
Dates
- Existence: 1906 - 1973
Biography
Clive Rickabaugh (1906-1973) was a noted mural artist and sculptor, theatre designer of both sets and costumes, and an important figure in the Chicago theatrical scene, especially between 1930 and 1960. The Federal Works Progress Administration (W.P.A) formed a Negro Theatre Unit (N.T.C.) and Clive Rickabaugh was the scene or costume designer for some of the group’s most successful plays in the 1930s: L'Ag'Ya by Katherine Dunham; Little Black Sambo by C.B. Chorpenning and directed by Shirley Graham Du Bois; and Swing Mikado adapted from Gilbert and Sullivan’s operetta by Shirley Graham Du Bois. Rickabaugh created set designs and some costumes for all these productions. He adapted stage settings for Little Black Sambo to take it on tour in Chicago school and park auditoriums in 1938-1939. His sets for Swing Mikado drew applause from the audience and praise from reviewers. It was the highest grossing play of the entire Chicago Federal Theatre Project. Rickabaugh lived in Chicago the rest of life, dying December 27, 1973.