Richard Wesley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Wesley
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| Born | July 11, 1945 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Education | Howard University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Writer |
Richard Wesley (born July 11, 1945) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He writes plays for the stage and scripts for movies and TV shows. He is also a professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. There, he teaches in the Department of Dramatic Writing.
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Early Life and Education
Richard Wesley was born in Newark, New Jersey. His parents were George and Gertrude Wesley. He grew up in a part of Newark called the Ironbound. After high school, he went to Howard University. He studied playwriting and dramatic literature. In 1967, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree.
What Has Richard Wesley Written?
Richard Wesley is known for many plays and screenplays. He often writes about important social topics. His work helps people think about different ideas.
Famous Plays by Richard Wesley
Wesley first became well-known for his play Black Terror. It premiered in 1971 at the New York Shakespeare Festival. The play explored the idea of a black revolution. A critic from The New York Times called it a "winner." For Black Terror, Wesley won the 1971/1972 Drama Desk Award. This award recognized him as a promising new playwright. Later, a theater group took Black Terror on tour in Italy.
In 1975, Wesley wrote and directed The Past Is the Past. This play was about a black man meeting his father. His father had left him many years before. The play was performed again in 1989.
His 1978 play, The Mighty Gents, tells the story of a former gang. The gang members are now in their 30s. They remember their past successes. The play shows how they deal with their current lives.
The Talented Tenth is a play from 1989. Its title comes from an idea by W. E. B. Du Bois. Du Bois believed that one in ten black men would become leaders. They would do this through education or social change. Wesley's play shows six fictional graduates of Howard University. They have become successful in their careers. However, they feel a bit guilty about their past. The play won six awards in 1989. These included best dramatic production and best playwright.
In 2015, Wesley's play Autumn premiered. It was his first full-length play in over 20 years. It was shown at The Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Richard Wesley's Work in Opera
Wesley has also written for opera. In 2013, he wrote the story for an opera called Papa Doc. This opera was based on an essay by Edwidge Danticat.
He also wrote the story for an opera called Five. This opera was about the 1989 Central Park Five case. It premiered in 2016 in Newark. An expanded version, The Central Park Five, premiered in 2019. The composer for this opera won a Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2020.
Movies and TV Shows
Richard Wesley has written screenplays for several movies. He wrote Uptown Saturday Night (1974) and Let's Do It Again (1975). Both movies starred Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier. He also wrote Fast Forward (1985) and Native Son (1986).
For television, he wrote "teleplays." These include Murder Without Motive (1991) for NBC. He also wrote Mandela and de Klerk (1997) and Bojangles (2000) for Showtime. He also contributed to TV series like Fallen Angels and 100 Centre Street.
Personal Life
Richard Wesley is married to author Valerie Wilson Wesley. They live in Montclair, New Jersey.
Selected Works
Here are some of Richard Wesley's important works:
Plays
- Black Terror (1971)
- The Sirens (1974)
- The Mighty Gents (1978)
- The Talented Tenth (1989)
- Autumn (2015)
Screenplays
- Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
- Let's Do It Again (1975)
- Fast Forward (1985)
- Native Son (1986)
Teleplays
- Murder Without Motive (1991 - NBC)
- Mandela and de Klerk (1997 - Showtime)
- Bojangles (2000 - Showtime)
Television Series Contributions
- Fallen Angels (1993-1995, Showtime)
- 100 Centre Street (2001-2002, A&E)
Awards and Honors
Richard Wesley has received many awards for his writing:
- 1971 Drama Desk Award for Black Terror
- 1974 AUDELCO Recognition Award for The Past is the Past
- 1974 NAACP Image Award for Best Picture for Uptown Saturday Night
- 1977 AUDELCO Recognition Award for The Sirens
- 1978 AUDELCO Recognition Award for The Mighty Gents
- 1989 AUDELCO Recognition Award for The Talented Tenth
- 2013 National Black Theater Festival August Wilson Playwright Award
