Douglas Turner Ward News

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THE DRAMA LEAGUE announces The Irene Gandy Directing Assistantships, honoring the legendary Tony Award-winning publicist.

Following the resounding success of her groundbreaking production, 'THE WHITE BLACKS,' esteemed playwright and director Melanie Maria Goodreaux is set to captivate audiences once again with a new staging of 'ENOUGH VO5 FOR THE UNIVERSE,' with a special appearance by Malik Yoba.

'ENOUGH VO5 FOR THE UNIVERSE' returns to Theater for the New City with a post Afro-futuristic apocalyptic narrative, featuring three remarkable Black women on a mission to transform the world. Don't miss this captivating production with a special appearance by Malik Yoba.

From August 10 to 26, the Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. (NEC), in conjunction with their residency at Penn Live Arts, will perform the world premiere of 'Mecca Is Burning' at Harlem School of the Arts.

The Acting Company has announced the complete cast for the reading of Mustapha Matura's new play Three Sisters After Chekhov. This is a part of the Reading Series in honor of The Acting Company's 50th anniversary. 

The Robey Theatre Company is inspired by Paul Robeson, the Black social activist, humanitarian, actor, singer and athlete. On Sunday, April 9, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., The Robey will celebrate the man, his accomplishments, and his legacy on the occasion of Paul Robeson's 125th birthday.

The Drama League’s Bonnie Comley, Gabriel Stelian-Shanks, and Bevin Ross announced the campaign to rename The Drama League Stage Directing Assistantships program to The Irene Gandy Directing Assistantships. Check out photos from the event here!

What did our critic think of AIN'T NO MO' at Woolly Mammoth?Thanks to Barack Obama's presidency but, alas, because of Rachel Dolezal's wannabe caper, American drama requires some updated, Black-originated satire; Jordan E. Cooper obliges with Ain't No Mo', his 100 minute whupping of white privilege, supremacy, and presumptive cultural majority at Woolly Mammoth through October 9. Cooper follows the late Douglas Turner Ward and George C. Wolfe whose Day of Absence (1965) and The Colored Museum (1986) lampooned white dominance with comedy both uproarious and bitter, and so does this show. It's good to have the real, live, three-dimensional exchange that only theatre provides. No disrespect, Dear White People, Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, and the canon of Spike Lee.

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration (BLPC), Artistic Director Eugene Lee will perform August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned, Sept. 8-23, in support of the newly established endowment fund.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center has announced four exciting new plays to be featured in the First Move Playwrights Festival from July 16th - 24th, 2022.

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, today announced the winners of the 11th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2021-2022 season.

The Off Broadway Alliance, an organization of Off-Broadway producers, theaters, general managers, press agents, and marketing professionals, has announced the nominees for the 11th Annual Off-Broadway Alliance Awards, honoring commercial and not-for-profit productions that opened Off Broadway during the 2021-2022 season. 

 The TEDxBroadway TEN stage is now set as organizers today revealed the final speakers rounding out the complete lineup for the milestone event being held Tuesday, May 17 at 1pm Eastern. 

Penn Live Arts (PLA) and the Tony and Obie Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) have announced a new residency that brings together one of the most important Black theatre producers in the United States and the University of Pennsylvania's nexus of the performing arts, two legacy organizations that share a mission of advancing innovative, contemporary theatre.

Ars Nova will honor writers Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu (Pass Over) and Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen, FX’s Fosse/Verdon, Netflix’s tick, tick…boom!), at Nova Ball, Ars Nova’s annual benefit.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee has announced that they will present the 2020 Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre to four outstanding contributors to the Broadway industry - Fred Gallo, President of PRG Scenic Technologies; Broadway press agent Irene Gandy; stage manager Beverly Jenkins and New Federal Theatre, Woodie King, Jr. Founder.

This week (June 14-20) in live streaming: Rita Moreno visits Backstage Live, Show of Titles on demand, a Kerry Butler master class, a Guys and Dolls reunion, and so much more!

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that playwright, actor, director, and theatrical producer Douglas Turner Ward has passed away. He was 90 years old.

At New Federal Theatre's 50th Anniversary Gala Sunday January 17, special guests will include Debbie Allen, Trazana Beverly, Mya Carter, Patrice Johnson Cevannes, Debbi Blackwell Cook, D.K. Dyson, Joseph Edwards, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Ted Lange, Pauletta Washington, Kevin Maynor, S. Epatha Merskerson, Phylicia Rashad and more.