Art

Douglas Turner Ward, Pioneering Black Theater Artist, Dead At 90

A writer and director as well as an actor, he wrote a 1966 New York Times Op-Ed titled “American Theater: For Whites Only?” that inspired the Ford Foundation to fund the creation of the Negro Ensemble Company, with Ward as artistic director. Both he and the troupe amassed nominations and awards, and the NEC counts some of the world’s most admired Black actors as alumni. Ward was also a playwright, and just last year published his magnum opus, a trilogy titled The Haitian Chronicles. – The New Yo...
Tags: Art, People, NEC, Ford Foundation, Ward, New York Times Op Ed, Negro Ensemble Company, 02.22.21, Douglas Turner Ward Pioneering Black Theater

Negro Ensemble Company: A Brief History Of A Pathbreaking Theater Group

The NEC’s roots lay in a drama workshop for Harlem youth that founder Robert Hooks ran in a makeshift theater in his apartment until the landlord found out. The professional company was born in 1967 with a Ford Fourndation grant, and it went on to become perhaps the most successful Black theatre group in the world, with a Pulitzer, two Tony Awards, more than a dozen Obies — and more than 4,000 alumni (including quite a few famous names) who learned acting, directing, and theater tech there. – A...
Tags: Art, Theatre, NEC, Harlem, Robert Hooks, Negro Ensemble Company, 01.13.21, Pathbreaking Theater Group

Steve Carter, Playwright Of Black Arts Movement, Dead At 90

“An award-winning playwright who explored the African-American and Caribbean-American experiences with incisiveness, humor and a willingness to wrestle with difficult themes, … Mr. Carter was one of many playwrights to emerge from the renowned Negro Ensemble Company in New York City in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, New York City, People, Carter, Steve Carter, Negro Ensemble Company, 09.17.20

Gerald Krone, Co-Founder Of The Negro Ensemble Company, Has Died At 86

Krone was a theatre producer and manager who joined with Douglas Turner Ward, an actor and playwright, and Robert Hooks, an actor and producer, to found the company in 1967. The company won a special Tony after two years of existence, and sent three plays to Broadway. “In 1981 it staged, Off Broadway, the premiere of Charles Fuller’s A Soldier’s Play, with a cast that included Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson; the play won the Pulitzer Prize.” – The New York Times
Tags: Art, People, Broadway, Samuel L Jackson, Denzel Washington, Tony, Krone, Robert Hooks, Negro Ensemble Company, Charles Fuller, Douglas Turner Ward, 02.28.20, Gerald Krone