Woodie King Jr.

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Woodie King Jr.
Woodie king jr 2021 1.jpg
King at the 74th Tony Awards in 2021
Born (1937-07-27) July 27, 1937 (age 87)
Baldwin Springs, Alabama, U.S.
Education
Occupation(s)Director, producer

Woodie King Jr. (born July 27, 1937) is an American director and producer of stage and screen, as well as the founding director of the New Federal Theatre in New York City. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

King was born in Baldwin Springs, Alabama, United States. [2] He graduated high school in 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, and worked at the Ford Motor Company there for three years. He then worked for the City of Detroit as a draftsman.

In 1970, he founded the New Federal Theatre. [1] He earned a B.A. degree in Self-Determined Studies, with a focus on Theatre and Black Studies, at Lehman College in 1996, and an M.F.A. at Brooklyn College in 1999. [2]

Credits

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

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1967 Sweet Love, Bitter Performer [3]
1972 Together for Days Jerry [3]
1973 Serpico Larry [3]
1976The Long NightSteelyDirector; Film debut [3]
2012 Men in Black 3 MIB HQ Guard [3]
2015 Staten Island Summer Mr. Stewart [3]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1968 N.Y.P.D. LewisEpisode: "Which Side Are You Own?" [3]
1981Death of a ProphetDirector; Television film [3]
1983Love to all, LorraineDirector; Television film [3]
1994 Law & Order ClaytonEpisode: "Wager" [3]
2009 Law & Order: SVU Parking AttendantEpisode: "Perverted" [3]
2011 Treme PerformerEpisode: "Slip Away" [3]
2014 Unforgettable Barry2 episodes [3]

Theatre

YearTitlePlaywrightVenueRef.
1976 Sizwe Banzi Is Dead Athol Fugard Pittsburgh Public Theater
1989God's Trombone James Weldon Johnson Ford's Theater
1987Splendid Mummer Lonne Elder American Place Theatre; Arena Stage
1987–1988CheckmatesRon MilnerInner City Cultural Center (Los Angeles)
1988CheckmatesRon Milner 46th Street Theatre, Broadway [4]
1990Joe Turner's Come and GoneAugust WilsonDetroit Repertory Theater
1992 The Member of the Wedding Carson McCullers Indiana Repertory Company
1993Good Black Don't CrackRob PennyBillie Holiday Theatre (Brooklyn)
1993CheckmatesRon MilnerSt Louis Black Repertory Theatre
1994 A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry Alliance Theater (Atlanta, Georgia)
1994Mudtracks Regina Taylor The Ensemble Studio Theater
1995–1996CheckmatesRon MilnerNew Federal Theatre [1]
1995–1996 Eyes Mari Evans American Cabaret Theater, Indiana
1995–1996Checkmates Ron Milner Bermuda International Theatre Festival
1996–1997 Joe Turner's Come and Gone August Wilson Brooklyn College
1996–1997Home Samm-Art Williams Center Stage of Baltimore
1998–1999 Angels in America Tony Kushner Ohio State University
2000 James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire Howard SimonNew York Shakespeare Festival
2012 The Piano Lesson August WilsonSeminole State College of Florida

Co-produced plays

Awards and recognition

Bibliography

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "New Federal Theatre - About Us". New Federal Theater. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  2. 1 2 "Woodie King Jr. Biography". The HistoryMakers . April 18, 2003. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Woodie King Jr. - IMDB". IMDB . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  4. "Checkmates (Broadway, 1988)". Playbill . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  5. "Woodie King, Jr. to Retire June 30 as Head of New Federal Theatre". Our Time Press . Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  6. "Rosetta LeNoire Award | 2005 – Woodie King, Jr and the New Federal Theatre"". Actors' Equity Association. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  7. Gans, Andrew; Michael Gioia (January 30, 2012). "Tyne Daly, Ben Vereen, Ann Roth, Daniel Sullivan and More Inducted into Theater Hall of Fame 30 Jan". playbill.com. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  8. "Black theatrical trailblazers Woodie King Jr. and Irene Gandy among recipients of honorary Tony Awards for excellence". New York Daily News . August 4, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2024.