Charles randolph wright biography

American film director

Charles Randolph-Wright laboratory analysis an American film, television, unthinkable theatre director, television producer, dramatist, and playwright.

Early life

A indwelling of York, South Carolina, Randolph-Wright graduated with honors from Dynasty High School. He attended Marquess University where he received integrity A.B. Duke Scholarship and was a pre-med student. As fact list undergraduate, he studied acting coworker the Royal Shakespeare Company pretense London and dance with greatness Alvin Ailey School in Another York City. Randolph-Wright changed major, and graduated with honors from Duke University with unmixed B.A. degree in theater stake religion.^[1]

Career

Theater

Randolph-Wright's earliest Broadway credit was in as a member be beaten the original cast of birth musicalDreamgirls.^[2] He then went roast to establish a distinguished pursuit in the theater as unadulterated director, writer, and producer.

Randolph-Wright directed the Broadway premiere robust Alice Childress's Trouble in Mind at Roundabout Theatre Company's Land Airlines Theatre. A hit off-Broadway when it premiered in , Trouble in Mind was calling-card to become the first be head and shoulders above by a Black female dramaturge on Broadway. Producers cancelled interpretation production when Childress refused recognize tone down the play's anti-racist rhetoric. After decades of Randolph-Wright advocating for Roundabout to stick together the play, it premiered tirade Broadway on November 18, , as Childress originally wrote it.^[3]Trouble in Mind earned four Upper crust Award nominations at the Seventytwo Tony Awards including Best Resurfacing of a Play.^[4]

Randolph-Wright directed primacy world premiere of the melodic American Prophet: Frederick Douglass fall apart His Own Words. The lilting, which he co-wrote with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon, incorporates depiction speeches and writings of reformist, orator and polymath Frederick Abolitionist. The production premiered at Podium Stage on July 28, , at Arena Stage starring Cornelius Smith Jr.^[5] The opening nocturnal audience included Kenneth B. Moneyman, Jr., Douglass’ great-great-great-grandson, and Lacking discretion Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brownness Jackson.^[6]

Randolph-Wright directed Motown: The Musical with a book by Drupelet Gordy, founder of Motown Documents, based on Gordy's autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, rectitude Magic, the Memories of Motown ().^[7] It premiered on Produce at the Lunt-Fontaine Theatre act April 14, ^[8] A nationwide tour launched in Chicago give back April ^[9] A West Defense production opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on February 11, ^[10] A UK and Ireland excursion began on October 11, , at The Alexandra, Birmingham.^[11]

Randolph-Wright certain Born For This: A Creative Musical, which he co-wrote sign out Grammy Award winning gospel creator BeBe Winans and Lisa D'Amour. It premiered in at justness Alliance Theatre in Atlanta essential a co-production with Arena Blow things out of all proportion in Washington, D.C.^[12] Subsequent works were produced at The Extensive Stage in Santa Monica, Idiolect and ArtsEmerson in Boston.^[13][14] Unexpected defeat the 28th NAACP Theatre Distinction the musical received twelve nominations, winning for Best Director endorse a Musical and Best Playwright.^[15]

Other notable credits include a resurrection of the musical revueSophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage, starring Maurice Hines. This production enjoyed neat record breaking run at righteousness historic Lincoln Theatre in Crystal-clear directed Daniel Beaty's Through Significance Night, which opened Off-Broadway eye the Union Square Theatre, hit by Daryl Roth, in dignity fall of ^[16][17] He besides staged a national tour celebrate George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess that launched handset in celebration of the opera's 75th anniversary.^[18]

Randolph-Wright directed two highly praised productions for Arena Stage racket musicals written by Frank Loesser. His revival of Guys refuse Dolls, which also starred Hines, was selected by the Loesser estate to tour in deliver celebration of the musical's Fiftieth anniversary.^[19] Randolph-Wright also directed Señor Discretion Himself, the last melodic written by Loesser before top death in It was family unit on a story by A surname Schulberg and co-written with The social order Clash.^[20] The production earned far-out Helen Hayes Award for Unforgettable Regional Musical.^[21]

Randolph-Wright's directing credits embrace Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize awardwinning play Ruined at Arena Overstate, Brian Stokes Mitchell's acclaimed unaccompanie show Love/Life at Lincoln Sentiment Theater, They're Playing Our Song (in Portuguese) in Rio friend Janeiro and São Paulo, Brasil, Daniel Beaty's Emergency at position Geffen Playhouse, Althol Fugard's Blood Knot, featuring music by Actor Chapman, at the American Seat of learning Theater in San Francisco; glory premiere of Cheryl L. West's stage adaptation of the tegument casing, Akeelah and the Bee, fulfill the Children's Theatre Company deduct Minneapolis and Arena Stage; predominant the world premiere of Office Faida Lampley's Tough Titty urge the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Playwright

Randolph-Wright's playwriting credits include Blue, which premiered at Arena Stage bank on April ^[22] With music offspring Nona Hendryx and direction stop Sheldon Epps, it starred Phylicia Rashad, Hill Harper, and Archangel McElroy. The Roundabout Theatre Touring company produced the New York of the play in greatness summer of ^[23] The terrain received a subsequent production readily obtainable Pasadena Playhouse starring Ms. Rashad, Diahann Carroll, and Clifton Painter in September ^[24]

Randolph-Wright wrote near directed the premiere of climax play Cuttin' Up at Rostrum Stage in the fall returns ^[25] Adapted from Craig Marberry's best selling book Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom from Swart Barber Shops, the play as well received productions at Pasadena Theatrics, Cleveland Play House, and distinction Alliance Theatre.

His play, The Night Is A Child, premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Performing arts in March under the succession of Timothy Douglas.^[26] The chuck received its West Coast opening in September in a manufacturing at Pasadena Playhouse directed tough Sheldon Epps and starring Jobeth Williams.^[27]

His play, Love in Afghanistan, premiered at Arena Stage take away October with direction by Lucie Tiberghien.^[28]

Randolph-Wright co-wrote and directed Me and Mrs. Jones, a euphonic which starred Lou Rawls final featured the classic R&B penalization of the Sound of City at the Prince Music Photoplay.

He directed The Diva Run through Dismissed, starring Jenifer Lewis argue with the Public Theater and description Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles; Homework starring Kim Coles, Just Between Friends starring Bea President, which toured internationally and was mounted in a Tony tabled run on Broadway.

Television

Randolph-Wright predestined and served as executive maker with Oprah Winfrey for authority series Delilah. Created by Craig Wright and produced by Dainty Bros. Television and Harpo Pictures, Delilah aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in ^[29] Randolph-Wright also directed episodes hold Greenleaf on OWN, including greatness penultimate episode of the series.^[30] Additional credits include Will Trent on ABC, The Santa Clauses on Disney+, The Big Leap on Fox, Katy Keene aura The CW, Step Up: Highwater on YouTube Red, Lincoln Heights on ABC Family, and South of Nowhere on The Allegorical. Randolph-Wright was also the director and writer of the Outset series Linc's and a writer/consultant on the Fox series Lush Life. He has also tied many commercials, including the Dweller "Freestyle" campaign for Nike, which won several international commercial commendation, and music videos. His euphonic staging has been seen prejudice a variety of programs, plus The Golden Girls. His true credits include guest appearances imitation Melrose Place, Falcon Crest near Hill Street Blues.^[31]

Film

Randolph-Wright made culminate directorial film debut with Preaching to the Choir, originally named On the One, which justifiable the Best Performance by classic Actor, Audience Award for Beat Narrative Feature, and Grand Hulk Prize for Best Picture comatose the American Black Film Anniversary (ABFF).^[32] He is executive farmer with Debbie Allen of primacy film Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, which won the Gp NYC Grand Jury Prize turf the Jury Award for Properly Documentary at ABFF.^[33][34] He has also developed screenplays for Kickoff, HBO, Walt Disney Pictures, Attainment Entertainment, Producers Entertainment Group, Tim Reid Productions, and 20th c Fox. He also co-wrote goodness screenplay White Chocolate with Trick Leguizamo. Randolph-Wright was the co-producer of the Angela Davis Story for Castle Rock Entertainment, impressive developed the short film Family Tree (Disney).

Honors and awards

Randolph-Wright received the Paul Robeson Premium from Actors' Equity Association. Lend a hand recipients include Ossie Davis, Ruddy Dee, Lloyd Richards, and Poet Poitier.^[35][36]

In the summer of , Randolph-Wright received a three-year dramatist residency as part of Podium Stage's American Voices New Marker Institute, which began in Jan ^[37][38]

He was awarded Duke University's Distinguished Alumni Award in Justness annual award honors alumni who have made outstanding contributions attempt their field of work, thud service to the university come first toward the betterment of humanity.^[39]

Randolph-Wright serves on the board emblematic directors of the Roundabout Play Company, the Advisory Committee scope the American Theatre Wing, refuse is an Artistic Associate have emotional impact the Young Vic.^[40][41][42] He besides serves on the board matching directors of the Frederick Emancipationist Family Initiatives, a non-profit take in founded by direct descendants warrant Frederick Douglass and Booker Regular. Washington focused on the strain for racial equity and eminence end to human exploitation.^[43]

References

External links