Joseph A. Walker (playwright) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joseph A. Walker
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Walker during his brief acting career
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| Born | February 24, 1935 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 2003 (aged 67) |
| Resting place | Lincoln Memorial Cemetery |
| Occupation | Playwright, director, screenwriter, educator |
| Spouse | Barbara A. Walker (1957–1965) Dorothy Ann Dinroe-Walker (1970–her death in 1995) |
Joseph Alexander Walker (born February 24, 1935 – died January 25, 2003) was an American writer, director, and professor. He was best known for writing the play The River Niger. This play started Off-Broadway in 1972 with the Negro Ensemble Company.
It then moved to Broadway in 1973 and was made into a movie in 1976. The movie starred famous actors James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. In 1974, Joseph A. Walker made history. He became the first African-American writer to win a Tony Award for Best Play for The River Niger. He also won an Obie Award for the play's Off-Broadway run.
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Life Story and Education
Joseph A. Walker was born in Washington, D.C.. His parents were Joseph A. Walker and Florine G. Johnson. He went to Howard University and studied philosophy. He also earned a master's degree in drama from The Catholic University of America.
In 1957, he joined the Air Force as a second lieutenant. Later in his life, he taught drama at Howard University. He also led the theater department at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey.
A Groundbreaking Playwright
Walker was one of the first African Americans to be nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. He won this award for his play The River Niger. His amazing talent was recognized at the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). Douglas Turner Ward was the artistic director there.
The River Niger was one of the NEC's most successful plays. It ran for a very long time. Walker wrote many other works too. Some of these include District Line, Yin-Yang, and The Harangues. He also wrote the musical King Buddy Bolden.
Early Life and Family
Walker met his first wife, Barbara Ann, in a philosophy class. They got married in September 1957. That same year, Walker joined the Air Force. He was stationed in places like San Antonio, Texas and Loring Air Force Base.
While in the Air Force, he started the Pine Tree Theatre Guild. His first son, Michael Alexander Walker, was born during this time. His second son, Steven Martin Walker, was born in 1962. After leaving the Air Force, Walker studied theater at Catholic University.
His time in the Air Force was important for his writing. The main character in The River Niger, Jeff Williams, was also discharged from the Air Force. This suggests that parts of the play might be based on Walker's own life.
From 1963 to 1965, he taught English and drama. He worked at Spingarn High School in Washington, D.C.
Developing His Artistic Career
In 1966, Walker started working as an actor. He studied voice and joined a group called Voices, Inc. He was a narrator, lead singer, and artistic director for this group. He helped write The Believers, which was produced in 1968.
From 1969 to 1975, he taught at CCNY. He was a professor in the speech and theater department. In 1969, he met Moses Gunn, who introduced him to Douglas Turner Ward. This led to his play The Harangues being produced by the The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC).
Walker also wrote and directed Ododo, which opened in 1970. The music for Ododo was created by his second wife, Dorothy Ann Dinroe-Walker. They married in 1970 because they both loved the arts.
Walker wanted to create his own theater company. So, he became the artistic director of The Demi-Gods. He co-founded this company with his wife, Dinroe-Walker. In 1971, they co-produced Yin-Yang.
The play The River Niger was produced in 1972. It was so popular that it moved to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway in 1973. It won the Tony Award in 1974. That same year, his first daughter, Kumina Walker, was born.
Walker also studied film production in New York City. He was honored as a playwright-in-residence at Yale School of Drama.
Later Years and Legacy
In his later years, Walker continued to write. He was a full professor at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. He also led the theater arts department there.
Joseph A. Walker passed away in 2003. He is remembered for his important contributions to American theater. He is survived by his five children: Michael, Steven, Kumina, Nandi, and Jodoa. His youngest son, Kamau, passed away in 2001.
Awards and Achievements
- Tony Award for Best Play for The River Niger, 1974
- Represented American Playwrights at a seminar in Salzburg, Austria
- Received the Guggenheim Award, 1973–74
- Antoinette Perry Award for best play of 1974
- Elizabeth-Kate Warriner Award
- First Annual Audelco Award
- Outer Critic's Circle, John Gassner Playwrighting Award
- The Obie Award
- Drama Desk Award
- Black Rose
- Professor of Theatre at Howard University, teaching advanced playwriting and theatre, 1976–89
- Drama Department Chair at the Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts, 1978–79 (at the same time as his Howard University professorship)
- American College Theatre Award for best director and set design for Antigone Africanus at Howard University, 1978
- Recipient of the Rockefeller Foundation's Playwrights Award, 1978 (for The Absolution of Willie Mae)
- Maryland State Arts Council Award for The Two Real Coons, 1980
- Wrote, directed, and choreographed A Proper Zulu Man and King Kong at His Majesty's Theatre, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1979–80
- Co-Authored screenplay BOP for Dustin Hoffman and Michael Camino (Columbia Pictures), 1984–85
- Living Legend Award, 1995
- Worked with Rutgers University and others to launch the Creative Arts High School, 1998
- Theatre Arts chairman and Director of African American Studies at Rutgers University Camden, 1989–2003
