Woodie King, Jr.

Woodie King, Jr, born 27 July 1937 in Baldwin Springs, Alabama, United States,[1] is a renowned African-American director and producer of stage and screen, as well as the founding director of the New Federal Theater in New York, New York, United States.[2]

Early life and education

King was born in Alabama. He graduated high school in 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, United States, and worked at the Ford Motor Company there for three years. He then worked for the City of Detroit as a draftsman. He founded the New Federal Theater in 1970.[2] He earned an M.F.A. at Brooklyn College in 1999.[1]

Film and stage direction

King has a long list of credits in film and stage direction and production, including the following:

Stage Play Year
Alliance Theater (Atlanta, Georgia) A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 1994
American Cabaret Theater (Indianapolis,Indiana) Eyes (based on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God) by Mari Evans 1995–1996
American Place Theatre Splendid Mummer 1987
Arena Stage
Bermuda International Theatre Festival Checkmates by Ron Milner 1995–1996
Billie Holiday Theatre (Brooklyn) Good Black Don't Crack 1993
Broadway (New York) Checkmates 1988
Brooklyn College Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson 1996–1997
Home by Samm-Art Williams 1996–1997
Center Stage of Baltimore
Cincinnati Playhouse
Cleveland Play House
Crossroads Theatre Company (New Brunswick, New Jersey) And The World Laughs With You 1994
Ali 1998–1999
Detroit Repertory Theater Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson 1990
The Ensemble Studio Theater Mudtracks by Regina Taylor 1994
Ford's Theater God's Trombone 1990
GeVa Theatre A Raisin in the Sun 1991
The Member of the Wedding 1992
Indiana Repertory Company
Inner City Cultural Center (Los Angeles) Checkmates 1987–1988
Jomandi Theatre
New Federal Theatre [2] Checkmates 1995–1996
James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire by Howard Simon 2000
New York Shakespeare Festival
Northlight Theatre
Ohio State University Angels in America 1998–1999
Pittsburgh Public Theater
SUNY Purchase
St Louis Black Repertory Theatre Checkmates 1993
Stage West
Studio Arena In Buffalo
Virginia Museum Theatre
Seminole State College of Florida The Piano Lesson by August Wilson 2012

Co-Produced Plays

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange
What the Wine Sellers Buy
Reggae
The Taking of Miss Janie, which earned the Drama Critic Circle Award

Awards and recognition

1985 Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Appear and Show Cause
1988 NAACP Image Award for directing Checkmates at the Inner City Cultural Center
1993 AUDELCO awards for Best Director and Best Play for Robert Johnson: Trick The Devil
1997 Obie Award for Sustained Achievement
2003 Paul Robeson Award
2005 Rosetta LeNoire Award
2011 Induction into American Theater Hall of Fame [3]
2014 Theatre Legend Award, Atlanta Black Theatre Festival

Works

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Woodie King, Jr. Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "New Federal Theatre - About Us". New Federal Theater. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-07.
  3. "Tyne Daly, Ben Vereen, Ann Roth, Daniel Sullivan and More Inducted Into Theater Hall of Fame Jan. 30". www.playbill.com. January 30, 2012.

External links