{{short description|American film director}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2013}} {{Infobox person | name = Gene Persson | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = Eugene Clair Persson | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|01|12}} | birth_place = Long Beach, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2008|6|6|1934|01|12|mf=y}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | other_names = | occupation = Actor, producer | years_active = 1946–1961 | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Shirley Knight|1959|1969|reason=divorced}} * {{marriage|Ruby Persson<br>|1972}} }} | children = 3; including Kaitlin Hopkins }}

'''Eugene Clair "Gene" Persson''' (January 12, 1934 – June 6, 2008) was an American actor, theatrical and film producer,<ref name=var>{{cite news |title=Gene Persson dies at 74 |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987838.html?categoryId=25&cs=1|work=Variety |publisher=Variety |date=June 20, 2008 |access-date=July 7, 2008}}</ref> best known for his work as the co-producer and co-creator of the original 1967 production of the Broadway musical comedy, ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'', as well as the show's 1999 Broadway revival, which won two Tony Awards.<ref name=var/>

== Early life and career == Gene Persson was born in Long Beach, California the son of Oscar Persson and Leah Krascoff. He began his career in entertainment as a child actor on radio, television and film,<ref name=var/> including one of the kids in ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' (1949) and two of its followups. He returned to acting after having served in the United States military during the Korean War, appearing in B movies, including Paramount Pictures' ''The Party Crashers'' (1958), as well as ''Earth vs. the Spider'' (1958) and ''Bloodlust!'' (1961).<ref name=var/>

== Producer == Persson married actress Shirley Knight in 1959.<ref name=var/> He soon began switching his career focus from acting to producing around the time of his marriage.<ref name=var/> In 1964 their daughter Kaitlin was born, He began producing plays in New York City and Los Angeles in which Knight held a starring position.<ref name=var/> Their joint productions included early plays by LeRoi Jones, who is also known as Amiri Baraka, such as ''The Slave'', ''The Toilet'' and ''Dutchman''.<ref name=var/> Their Broadway plays later included Stanley Mann's ''Room''.<ref name=var/> He also produced a controversial play entitled ''The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald'' on Broadway in 1967.<ref name=var/>

On screen, Persson produced ''Dutchman'' with Anthony Harvey, who was a first time director at the time of production.<ref name=var/> The film, which starred Shirley Knight and Al Freeman Jr., is still screened at film festivals and museums today, according to ''Variety''.

Knight and Persson later divorced in 1969, but remained lifelong personal and professional friends.<ref name=var/> Their daughter was raised by Knight's second husband, the English writer John Hopkins.

Persson moved to London in 1969.<ref name=var/> There he produced a total of five plays for British playwright Peter Barnes, including ''The Ruling Class''.<ref name=var/> He later collaborated with Tennessee Williams during the 1970s to produce the British revival of ''The Glass Menagerie'' as well as ''The Red Devil Battery Sign'', both of which were produced in the United Kingdom.<ref name=var/> Persson and Williams also teamed up to bring ''An Evening with Tennessee Williams'' and ''This Is'' to San Francisco.<ref name=var/>

In 1972 he married Ruby Persson and they had two sons: Lukas and Markus.

=== Charlie Brown productions ===

Persson and Arthur Whitelaw co-produced and co-created ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' in 1967.<ref name=var/> The musical was based on the Peanuts characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. The book in which they and their creative team adapted the musical was by John Gordon, which was a pseudonym.<ref name=var/> According to Variety, Persson's musical "has gone on to be one of the most produced musicals ever."<ref name=var/> Persson later returned as the producer of the 1999 Broadway revival of ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown''.<ref name=var/> The show earned two Tony Awards in 1999.

Persson also produced the 1973 television special of the original musical, ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' for the Hallmark Hall of Fame.<ref name=var/> Persson continued to produce stage productions for much of the next decade.<ref name=var/> Among these included the Peanuts musical comedy ''Snoopy!!! The Musical'', which he both directed and produced.<ref name=var/>

Persson was working on a musical stage version of the 1965 television holiday classic, ''A Charlie Brown Christmas'', at the time of his death in 2008.<ref name=var/>

== Death == Gene Persson died of a heart attack in Manhattan on June 6, 2008, at the age of 74.<ref name=var/> He was survived by his wife of 36 years, actress and artist Ruby Persson, and his three children, Kaitlin Hopkins, an actress; Lukas Persson, a filmmaker and writer; and Markus Persson, a musician.<ref name=var/>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=0675580|name=Eugene Persson}} * {{IBDB name}} * [http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2008/06/21/Theater_producer_Persson_dead_at_74/UPI-90831214075812/ UPI: Theater producer Persson dead at 74] * [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/118913.html Gene Persson, Producer of Dutchman and Charlie Brown, Dies at 74] * [https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/21/movies/21persson.html New York Times: Gene Persson, Film and Theater Producer, Dies at 74 ]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Persson, Gene}} Category:1934 births Category:2008 deaths Category:American theatre managers and producers Category:Film producers from California Category:Film directors from California Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:Male actors from Long Beach, California Category:American male child actors