Woodie King, Jr. News

On October 16 - 18, Woodie King Jr's New Federal Theatre's Octoberfest virtual revival play reading series will present the acclaimed 'From the Mississippi Delta,' the biographical journey of a Black woman's rise from poverty and prostitution to become a Civil Rights activist and historian by late scholar-poet Endesha Ida Mae Holland, PhD.

Woodie King Jr's New Federal Theatre's Octoberfest virtual revival play reading series will present 'Dr. DuBois and Miss Ovington,' the acclaimed 2014 drama about the beginnings of the NAACP with original stars Peter Jay Fernandez and Kathleen Chalfant.'Dr. DuBois and Miss Ovington' are 7:00pm on Friday, October 9 and 7:00pm on Saturday, Oct 10.

Woodie King Jr. Producing Director of New Federal Theatre (NFT), has appointed actress, director and producer Elizabeth Van Dyke as Artistic Director.

On September 21 and 28 at 7:00 PM, Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will present '2020 Poetry Jam: She Speaks, He Speaks, We Speak, Generations Speak.' 

Woodie King Jr., founder of New Federal Theatre has penned an article exclusively for BroadwayWorld, discussing New Federal Theatre's past, present and more.

From June 2 to 30, Woodie King Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will present 'Tuesdays in June 2020: Rapping with the Artists & Play Readings,' a program of seven live-streamed discussions and play reading events featuring distinguished artists who have done formative and influential work at New Federal Theater.

From February 27 to April 5, Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will celebrate both Black History Month and Women's History Month with an Off-Broadway production of 'Two Can Play' by Trevor Rhone, directed by Clinton Turner Davis, at Castillo Theater, 543 West 42nd Street. 

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, just celebrated its 2020 TCG Gala: Our Stories, last night, February 3, 2020, at The Edison Ballroom. The Gala honored North Carolina Black Repertory Company's National Black Theatre Festival, based in Winston-Salem; playwright David Henry Hwang; and TCG's arts advocacy at the federal level. The evening included performances from A Strange Loop and Soft Power, and feature Billy Bustamante, James Jackson, Jr., and Alyse Alan Louis.

From February 27 to March 29, Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will celebrate both Black History Month and Women's History Month with an Off-Broadway production of 'Two Can Play' by Trevor Rhone, directed by Clinton Turner Davis, at Castillo Theater, 543 West 42nd Street. In this two-act comedy, Gloria and Jim, a lower middle-class couple in Kingston, try their wildest schemes to escape gun crime and establish residence in the United States. They survive because they learn to communicate and rediscover each other. Playwright Trevor Rhone was the artistic giant of Jamaican theater. The play celebrates the pent-up need for self-discovery and personal development in Jamaican women, a theme which is also universal. Director is Clinton Turner Davis, who helmed the comedy's New York premiere in 1985.

The United States Artists (USA) announced today that dancer/ choreographer Dianne McIntyre is one of fifty recipients of their 2020 USA Fellow award. Each of the fifty recipients will receive a $50,000 cash award of unrestricted funds.

2019 Tony winner Andre De Shields has been attending The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, N. C. since 1995. Dubbed the 'Black Theatre Holy Ground,' NBTF is the international outreach program of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, founded by the late Larry Leon Hamlin in 1979. The Festival, also founded by Hamlin, has been held biennially since 1989. The NCBRC celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, while the NBTF celebrated its 30th.

2019 Tony Award winner André De Shields spent his day off from HADESTOWN at The National Black Theatre Festival® (NBTF) in Winston-Salem, NC.

BMCC's Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, in partnership with New Federal Theatre, will present 'Hatitudes 2019: A Tribute to the Grace and Style of Our Mothers,' a benefit for Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre, on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 3:00 PM.

The Tribeca Talks program will return to entertain and inspire audiences at the 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, taking place April 24 - May 5. This year's lineup will include intimate and once in a lifetime conversations with a diverse list of groundbreaking and critically acclaimed filmmakers, artists, entertainers, and icons.

Woodie King, Jr.'s New Federal Theatre (NFT) has scheduled talk backs to follow five matinee performances of 'Looking for Leroy' by Larry Muhammad, a two-character play that reflects on the legacy of the late Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka.  Baraka was a leading dramatist the 20th century who defined the role of the Black playwright for our age.  NFT is presenting the world premiere of this play February 28 to March 31 at Castillo Theater, 543 West 42nd Street. 

From November 8 to 18, Woodie King Jr.'s New Federal Theatre will present 'The November Readings Series,' with readings of eight plays at Castillo Theatre, 543 W 42nd Street.  This series is devoted to brilliant one- and two-character plays, a dramatic form that most theaters neglect.  It will be used to develop African-American writers and to select plays that New Federal Theatre may present as full productions in its 2019-20 season.  The lineup includes works by Trevor Rhone, Howard Craft, Edgar Nkosi White, J.E. Franklin, Ivy Omere, Larry Muhammad, Richie McCall and Reginald T. Jackson.  Suggested donation is $10 and tickets can be purchased at www.castillo.org. The box office number is 212-941-1234.  For complete info, visit:  www.newfederaltheatre.org.

Rebel Theatrical Management, LLC (Harvey Butler, producer), in association with The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, have announced, today, the cast and the creative team for the New York premiere of the new play Little Rock, written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Performances are set to begin Wednesday, May 30, 2018 for a limited run through September 8, 2018 at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street). Opening Night is set for Today, June 14, 2018 at 7:00PM.

Rebel Theatrical Management, LLC (Harvey Butler, producer), in association with The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, have announced, today, the cast and the creative team for the New York premiere of the new play Little Rock, written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Performances are set to begin Today, May 30, 2018 for a limited run through September 8, 2018 at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street). Opening Night is set for Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 7:00PM.

Rebel Theatrical Management, LLC (Harvey Butler, producer), in association with The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, have announced, today, the cast and the creative team for the New York premiere of the new play Little Rock, written and directed by Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. Performances are set to begin Wednesday, May 30, 2018 for a limited run through September 8, 2018 at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street). Opening Night is set for Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 7:00PM.

The BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center is proud to partner with host Randy Cohen for his Person Place Thing podcast and radio show in 2017-2018. The second guest to be featured at Tribeca PAC is award-winning theatre director Woodie King, Jr. on Tuesday, March 6 at 7pm. Tickets to the recording are $10 and available online, at the door, and by phone at 212-220-1460.