Charles Randolph-Wright facts for kids

Charles Randolph-Wright is a talented American director, producer, and writer. He works in movies, TV shows, and plays. He also writes scripts for films and plays.

Early Life and Education

Charles Randolph-Wright grew up in York, South Carolina. He was a very good student and graduated with honors from York High School. He then went to Duke University. There, he received a special scholarship called the A.B. Duke Scholarship.

At first, he planned to study medicine. But during college, he explored his creative side. He studied acting with the famous Royal Shakespeare Company in London. He also learned dance at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City. He decided to change his main focus. He graduated from Duke University with honors, earning a degree in theater and religion.

Career Highlights

Charles Randolph-Wright has had a long and successful career. He has worked in theater, television, and film.

Directing for the Stage

Charles Randolph-Wright started his Broadway career in 1981. He was part of the original cast of the musical Dreamgirls. After that, he became a well-known director, writer, and producer in theater.

Bringing Trouble in Mind to Broadway

Randolph-Wright directed the first Broadway show of Alice Childress's play Trouble in Mind. This play was popular Off-Broadway in 1955. It was supposed to be the first play by a Black female writer on Broadway. However, the show was canceled because Childress refused to change the play's strong anti-racism message.

For many years, Randolph-Wright worked hard to get the play produced. Finally, it opened on Broadway on November 18, 2021. It was shown exactly as Alice Childress wrote it. Trouble in Mind received four nominations for the 75th Tony Awards. This included a nomination for Best Revival of a Play.

American Prophet: Frederick Douglass

Randolph-Wright directed the very first show of the musical American Prophet: Frederick Douglass in His Own Words. He also helped write this musical with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon. The show uses the speeches and writings of Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a famous speaker and leader who fought against slavery.

The musical opened on July 28, 2022, at Arena Stage. Cornelius Smith Jr. starred in the show. Important guests, like Frederick Douglass's great-great-great-grandson, attended the opening night.

Motown: The Musical

Charles Randolph-Wright directed Motown: The Musical. This musical tells the story of Berry Gordy, who started Motown Records. The story is based on Gordy's own book.

The musical first opened on Broadway on April 14, 2013. It was a big hit! A national tour of the show started in Chicago in April 2014. It also opened in London's West End on February 11, 2016. A tour across the UK and Ireland began in October 2018.

Born For This: A New Musical

Randolph-Wright co-wrote and directed Born For This: A New Musical. He worked with Grammy Award-winning gospel artist BeBe Winans and Lisa D'Amour on this project. The musical first showed in 2016 in Atlanta. It then played in Washington, D.C., Santa Monica, California, and Boston. The musical received twelve nominations at the 28th NAACP Theatre Awards. Randolph-Wright won awards for Best Director of a Musical and Best Playwright.

Other Notable Stage Productions

He directed a new version of the musical Sophisticated Ladies. This show starred Maurice Hines and had a very successful run in 2010. He also directed Through The Night by Daniel Beaty. This play opened Off-Broadway in 2010. In 2010, he also staged a national tour of George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. This tour celebrated the opera's 75th anniversary.

Randolph-Wright directed two musicals by Frank Loesser for Arena Stage. His version of Guys and Dolls toured in 2001 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. He also directed Señor Discretion Himself, which was the last musical Loesser wrote. This show won a Helen Hayes Award in 2005 for Outstanding Regional Musical.

His other directing work includes Ruined by Lynn Nottage and Love/Life by Brian Stokes Mitchell. He also directed They're Playing Our Song in Brazil. He worked on Emergency by Daniel Beaty and Blood Knot by Athol Fugard. He directed the stage version of the film Akeelah and the Bee for young audiences.

Writing for the Stage

Charles Randolph-Wright has written several plays.

Blue

His play Blue first showed at Arena Stage in April 2000. It featured music by Nona Hendryx. The play starred Phylicia Rashad, Hill Harper, and Michael McElroy. It later played in New York in 2001 and in Pasadena, California, in 2002.

Cuttin' Up

Randolph-Wright wrote and directed his play Cuttin' Up. It premiered at Arena Stage in 2005. The play was based on a popular book about Black barber shops. It was also performed in Pasadena, Cleveland, and Atlanta.

Other Plays

His play The Night Is A Child first showed in Milwaukee in 2008. It later had its West Coast premiere in Pasadena in 2009. His play Love in Afghanistan premiered at Arena Stage in October 2013.

He also co-wrote and directed Me and Mrs. Jones. This musical starred Lou Rawls and featured classic R&B music. He directed The Diva Is Dismissed starring Jenifer Lewis. He also directed Homework with Kim Coles and Just Between Friends with Bea Arthur.

Television Work

Randolph-Wright has directed and produced many TV shows. He was an executive producer with Oprah Winfrey for the series Delilah. This show aired on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in 2021. He also directed episodes of Greenleaf on OWN.

His other TV directing credits include Will Trent on ABC, The Santa Clauses on Disney+, and The Big Leap on Fox. He also directed episodes of Katy Keene, Step Up: Highwater, Lincoln Heights, and South of Nowhere.

He was a producer and writer for the Showtime series Linc's. He also worked as a writer and consultant for the Fox series Lush Life. He has directed many commercials, including a award-winning campaign for Nike. His acting roles include guest appearances on shows like Melrose Place and Hill Street Blues.

Film Projects

Charles Randolph-Wright directed his first movie, Preaching to the Choir, in 2005. This film won several awards at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF). These awards included Best Performance by an Actor and the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

He is also an executive producer for the film Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back. This documentary won the Grand Jury Prize at Doc NYC in 2019. It also won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at ABFF in 2020. He has written screenplays for various studios, including Showtime, HBO, and Walt Disney Pictures. He co-wrote the screenplay White Chocolate with John Leguizamo. He also co-produced The Angela Davis Story and developed the short film Family Tree.

Awards and Recognition

Charles Randolph-Wright has received many honors for his work.

Paul Robeson Award

In 2010, he received the Paul Robeson Award from Actors' Equity Association. This award honors people who have made great contributions to theater. Past winners include famous artists like Ossie Davis and Sidney Poitier.

Playwright Residency

In the summer of 2010, Randolph-Wright was given a three-year playwright residency. This was part of Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute. It started in January 2011.

Duke University Distinguished Alumni Award

In 2017, he received Duke University's Distinguished Alumni Award. This award celebrates alumni who have made outstanding contributions in their careers. It also recognizes those who have helped the university and made the world a better place.

Board Memberships

Randolph-Wright serves on the board of directors for the Roundabout Theatre Company. He is also on the Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing. He is an Artistic Associate at the Young Vic theater. He also serves on the board of directors for the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives. This group was founded by descendants of Frederick Douglass. It works for racial fairness and to end human exploitation.