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Woodie King Jr.
Woodie king jr 2021 1.jpg
King at the 74th Tony Awards in 2021
Born (1937-07-27) July 27, 1937 (age 87)
Baldwin Springs, Alabama, U.S.
Education
Occupation Director, producer

Woodie King Jr. (born July 27, 1937) is an American director and producer of stage and screen, as well as the founding director of the New Federal Theatre in New York City.

Early life and education

King was born in Baldwin Springs, Alabama, United States. He graduated high school in 1956 in Detroit, Michigan, and worked at the Ford Motor Company there for three years. He then worked for the City of Detroit as a draftsman.

In 1970, he founded the New Federal Theatre. He earned a B.A. degree in Self-Determined Studies, with a focus on Theatre and Black Studies, at Lehman College in 1996, and an M.F.A. at Brooklyn College in 1999.

Credits

King has a long list of credits in film and stage direction and production, including the following:

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1967 Sweet Love, Bitter Performer
1972 Together for Days Jerry
1973 Serpico Larry
1976 The Long Night Steely Director; Film debut
2012 Men in Black 3 MIB HQ Guard
2015 Staten Island Summer Mr. Stewart

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1968 N.Y.P.D. Lewis Episode: "Which Side Are You Own?"
1981 Death of a Prophet N/A Director; Television film
1983 Love to all, Lorraine N/A Director; Television film
1994 Law & Order Clayton Episode: "Wager"
2009 Law & Order: SVU Parking Attendant Episode: "..."
2011 Treme Performer Episode: "Slip Away"
2014 Unforgettable Barry 2 episodes

Theatre

Year Title Playwright Venue Ref.
1976 Sizwe Banzi Is Dead Athol Fugard Pittsburgh Public Theater
1989 God's Trombone James Weldon Johnson Ford's Theater
1987 Splendid Mummer Lonne Elder American Place Theatre; Arena Stage
1987–1988 Checkmates Ron Milner Inner City Cultural Center (Los Angeles)
1988 Checkmates Ron Milner 46th Street Theatre, Broadway
1990 Joe Turner's Come and Gone August Wilson Detroit Repertory Theater
1992 The Member of the Wedding Carson McCullers Indiana Repertory Company
1993 Good Black Don't Crack Rob Penny Billie Holiday Theatre (Brooklyn)
1993 Checkmates Ron Milner St Louis Black Repertory Theatre
1994 A Raisin in the Sun Lorraine Hansberry Alliance Theater (Atlanta, Georgia)
1994 Mudtracks Regina Taylor The Ensemble Studio Theater
1995–1996 Checkmates Ron Milner New Federal Theatre
1995–1996 Eyes Mari Evans American Cabaret Theater, Indiana
1995–1996 Checkmates Ron Milner Bermuda International Theatre Festival
1996–1997 Joe Turner's Come and Gone August Wilson Brooklyn College
1996–1997 Home Samm-Art Williams Center Stage of Baltimore
1998–1999 Angels in America Tony Kushner Ohio State University
2000 James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire Howard Simon New York Shakespeare Festival
2012 The Piano Lesson August Wilson Seminole State College of Florida

Co-produced plays

  • What the Wine Sellers Buy
  • Reggae
  • The Taking of Miss Janie, by Ed Bullins, which earned the Drama Critics Circle Award

Awards and recognition

  • 1985: Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for Appear and Show Cause
  • 1988: NAACP Image Award for directing Checkmates at the Inner City Cultural Center
  • 1993: AUDELCO awards for Best Director and Best Play for Robert Johnson: Trick The Devil
  • 1997: Obie Award for Sustained Achievement
  • 2003: Paul Robeson Award
  • 2005: Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors' Equity Association
  • 2011: Induction into American Theater Hall of Fame
  • 2014: Theatre Legend Award, Atlanta Black Theatre Festival
  • 2020: Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
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