Editing Ron Sproat | The Dark Shadows Wiki

[[File:Ron-sproat.jpg|thumb|300 px]]
'''Ron Sproat '''(November 2, 1932-November 6, 2009) was an American screenwriter and playwright. Sproat was one of the more prolific writers on [[Dark Shadows (1966)|''Dark Shadows'']] and the co-creator of [[Barnabas Collins]] along with Joe Caldwell.<ref>[[Wikipedia:Playbill.com|Playbill.com]] - [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134640-Ron-Sproat-Librettist-and-Soap-Writer-Dies-at-77 ''Ron Sproat, Librettist and Soap Writer, Dies at 77'']</ref>

==Biography==
===Education===
Ron Sproat was a graduate of [[Wikipedia:Hamilton College (New York)|Hamilton College]]. Sproat later earned a [[Wikipedia:Master of Arts|MA degree]] from the [[Wikipedia:University of Michigan|University of Michigan]]. Sproat also attended the [[Wikipedia:Yale School of Drama|Yale School of Drama]] and received a [[Wikipedia:Master of Fine Arts|MFA degree]]. Sproat first met and worked with [[Jonathan Frid]] while studying at Yale.

===Career===
Ron Sproat's earliest television credits included ''United States Steel Hour'' and ''General Motors Presents''.

Sproat began writing for ''Dark Shadows'' in [[1966 productions|1966]], with his first credit being in November with episode [[94]]. When it came time to start casting the [[vampire]] character, he immediately thought of Jonathan Frid and suggested him. [[Dan Curtis]] was unable to personally oversee the casting of the vampire, as he was in [[London]] preparing his production of ''The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''. Curtis was sent two packages of photographs, one of standard head-shots and another of an actor on stage. Curtis chose the actor on stage, Jonathan Frid.<ref>[http://msbhall.wordpress.com/ Nantucket '73] [[Matt Hall]]'s blog - [http://msbhall.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/on-the-death-of-jonathan-frid/ ''On the Death of Jonathan Frid'']</ref> Frid met with Sproat after he got the part, and had discussions about the character.{{Citation needed}} Curtis later expressed dissatisfaction with Frid's appearance after meeting him.<ref>[http://msbhall.wordpress.com/ Nantucket '73] [[Matt Hall]]'s blog - [http://msbhall.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/on-the-death-of-jonathan-frid/ ''On the Death of Jonathan Frid'']</ref>

Sproat later wrote for the Canadian supernatural soap opera [[Wikipedia:Strange Paradise|''Strange Paradise'']].

===Death===
Sproat suffered a heart attack and died on November 6, 2009. He was 77 years old.<ref>[[Dark Shadows News Page]] - [http://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/ron-sproat-dies.html ''Ron Sproat Dies'']</ref><ref>[[Wikipedia:Playbill.com|Playbill.com]] - [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/134640-Ron-Sproat-Librettist-and-Soap-Writer-Dies-at-77 ''Ron Sproat, Librettist and Soap Writer, Dies at 77'']</ref>

== Writing credits ==
[[94]], [[95]], [[98]], [[99]], [[100]], [[107]], [[108]], [[111]], [[112]], [[114]], [[116]], [[117]], [[118]], [[122]], [[125]], [[126]], [[127]], [[129]], [[132]], [[135]], [[136]], [[139]], [[141]], [[143]], [[144]], [[147]], [[148]], [[153]], [[154]], [[155]], [[156]], [[157]], [[162]], [[163]], [[164]], [[165]], [[167]],[[169]], [[171]], [[174]], [[175]], [[179]], [[180]], [[181]], [[182]], [[183]], [[186]], [[189]], [[190]], [[192]], [[193]], [[194]], [[198]], [[199]], [[200]], [[201]], [[204]], [[205]], [[206]], [[208]], [[209]], [[211]], [[212]], [[213]], [[216]], [[217]], [[219]], [[221]], [[223]], [[225/226]], [[228]], [[230]], [[232]], [[234]], [[235]], [[236]], [[239]], [[240]], [[242]], [[243]], [[246]], [[248]], [[249]], [[251]], [[255]], [[260]], [[261]], [[263]], [[268]], [[275]], [[276]], [[349]], [[422]], [[423]], [[487]], [[488]], [[493]], [[494]], [[503]], [[504]], [[515]], [[516]], [[539]], [[540]], [[541]], [[542]], [[543]], [[554]], [[556]], [[560]], [[561]], [[562]], [[568]], [[569]], [[572]], [[573]], [[578]], [[579]], [[588]], [[589]], [[594]], [[595]], [[598]], [[599]], [[683]]

==References==
<references />
== External links ==
*{{Imdb|url=name/nm0819821/|text=Ron Sproat}}
*{{wikipedia|Ron Sproat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sproat, Ron}}
[[Category:Writers|Sproat, Ron]]