Charles Randolph-Wright
Encyclopedia
Charles Randolph-Wright is an American
film
, television
, and theatre director, television producer
, screenwriter
, and playwright
.
, Randolph-Wright graduated with honors from York High School in 1974. He attended Duke University
where he was a recipient of the prestigious A.B. Duke Scholarship and a pre-med student. As an undergraduate, he studied acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and dance with the Alvin Ailey School in New York City. Randolph-Wright graduated with honors from Duke University in 1978 with a B.A. degree in theater and religion.
. He then went on to establish a distinguished career as a director. His recent credits include Daniel Beaty's Through The Night, which opened Off-Broadway
at the Union Square Theatre
in the fall of 2010. He also staged a national tour of George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
that launched in 2010 in celebration of the opera's 75th anniversary. Notable credits include Arena Stage
's Sophisticated Ladies
starring Maurice Hines
, which enjoyed a record breaking run at the historic Lincoln Theatre
in 2010. Randolph-Wright also directed two acclaimed productions for Arena Stage of musicals written by Frank Loesser
. His revival of Guys and Dolls
, which also starred Mr. Hines, was selected by the Loesser estate to tour in celebration of the musical's 50th anniversary. Randolph-Wright also directed Senor Discretion Himself, the last musical written by Mr. Loesser before his death in 1969, which was based on a story by Budd Schulberg
and co-written with Culture Clash
. The production earned a 2005 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Regional Musical.
Randolph-Wright's directing credits also include Brian Stokes Mitchell
's acclaimed solo show Love/Life at Lincoln Center Theater, They're Playing Our Song
(in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brasil, Daniel Beaty's Emergency at the Geffen Theatre, Blood Knot, featuring music by Tracy Chapman
, at the American Conservatory Theater
in San Francisco, and the world premiere of Oni Faida Lampley's Tough Titty at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
. Charles also directed and co-wrote Me and Mrs. Jones, a musical which starred Lou Rawls
and featured the classic R&B music of the Sound of Philadelphia at the Prince Music Theatre, The Diva Is Dismissed, starring Jenifer Lewis
at the Public Theater
and the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, Homework starring Kim Coles
, and Just Between Friends starring Bea Arthur, which toured internationally and was mounted in a Tony nominated run on Broadway.
Randolph-Wright's playwriting credits include Blue, which premiered at Arena Stage in April 2000. With music by Nona Hendryx
and direction by Sheldon Epps
, it starred Phylicia Rashad
, Hill Harper
, and Michael McElroy
. The Roundabout Theatre Company
produced the New York premiere of the play in the summer of 2001. The play received a subsequent production at Pasadena Playhouse
. Randolph-Wright also wrote and directed the premiere of Cuttin' Up at Arena Stage in the fall of 2005. Adapted from Craig Marberry's best selling book "Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom from Black Barber Shops," subsequent productions of the play were produced at Pasadena Playhouse, Cleveland Play House
, and the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. His play, The Night Is A Child, premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
in March 2008 under the direction of Timothy Douglas. The play received its west coast premiere in September 2009 in a production at Pasadena Playhouse directed by Sheldon Epps and starring Jobeth Williams
.
Randolph-Wright received the 2010 Paul Robeson Award from Actors' Equity Association
. The annual award honors individuals for their exemplary artistic and humanitarian achievements. Past recipients include Ossie Davis
, Ruby Dee
, Lloyd Richards
, and Sidney Poitier
. In the summer of 2010, Randolph-Wright received a three-year playwright residency as part of Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute, which began in January 2011. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Roundabout Theatre where he created the "Different Voices" workshop series and the artistic board at Duke University. He's also the founder and artistic director of "Create Carolina", a multi-disciplinary intensive arts experience first established in 2007.
" and "Hill Street Blues
." He's directed episodes of the series "Lincoln Heights
" on ABC Family
and "South of Nowhere
" on the N Network. Randolph-Wright was also the producer and writer of the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Linc's" and a writer/consultant on the Fox series "Lush Life." He has also directed many commercials, including the European "Freestyle" campaign for Nike, which won several international commercial awards, and music videos. His musical staging has been seen on a variety of programs, including "The Golden Girls
."
. Randolph-Wright was the co-producer of the Angela Davis Story for Castle Rock Entertainment, and developed the short film Family Tree (Disney).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, television
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, and theatre director, television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Early life
A native of York, South CarolinaYork, South Carolina
York is a small city in York County, South Carolina, United States. The city of York is also the county seat of York County. The population was approximately 6,985 at the 2000 census and the 2009 population estimate for the city...
, Randolph-Wright graduated with honors from York High School in 1974. He attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
where he was a recipient of the prestigious A.B. Duke Scholarship and a pre-med student. As an undergraduate, he studied acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London and dance with the Alvin Ailey School in New York City. Randolph-Wright graduated with honors from Duke University in 1978 with a B.A. degree in theater and religion.
Theater
Randolph-Wright's earliest Broadway credit was as a member of the original cast of the musical DreamgirlsDreamgirls
Dreamgirls is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based upon the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, the musical follows the story of a young female singing trio...
. He then went on to establish a distinguished career as a director. His recent credits include Daniel Beaty's Through The Night, which opened Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theatre
Union Square Theater is an Off-Broadway theatre, owned by Reading International, who also owns Reading Entertainment.- Productions :*Visiting Mr. Green by Jeff Baron*The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the Members of the Tectonic Theater Project...
in the fall of 2010. He also staged a national tour of George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
that launched in 2010 in celebration of the opera's 75th anniversary. Notable credits include Arena Stage
Arena Stage
Arena Stage is a not-for-profit regional theater based in Southwest Washington, D.C. Its declared mission"is to produce huge plays of all that is passionate, exuberant, profound, deep and dangerous in the American spirit. Arena has broad shoulders and a capacity to produce anything from vast epics...
's Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies
Sophisticated Ladies is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington.After fifteen previews, the Broadway production, conceived by Donald McKayle, directed by Michael Smuin, and choreographed by McKayle, Smuin, Henry LeTang, Bruce Heath, and Mercedes Ellington, opened on March 1, 1981 at...
starring Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines
Maurice Hines is an American actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer.Born in New York City, Hines began his career at the age of five, studying tap dance at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in Manhattan. LeTang recognized his talent and began choreographing numbers specifically for him and his...
, which enjoyed a record breaking run at the historic Lincoln Theatre
Lincoln Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
Lincoln Theatre is a theater in Washington, D.C. located at 1215 U Street, next to Ben's Chili Bowl. The theater, located on "Washington's Black Broadway", served the city's African American community when segregation kept them out of other venues. The Lincoln Theatre included a movie house and...
in 2010. Randolph-Wright also directed two acclaimed productions for Arena Stage of musicals written by Frank Loesser
Frank Loesser
Frank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
. His revival of Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
, which also starred Mr. Hines, was selected by the Loesser estate to tour in celebration of the musical's 50th anniversary. Randolph-Wright also directed Senor Discretion Himself, the last musical written by Mr. Loesser before his death in 1969, which was based on a story by Budd Schulberg
Budd Schulberg
Budd Schulberg was an American screenwriter, television producer, novelist and sports writer. He was known for his 1941 novel, What Makes Sammy Run?, his 1947 novel The Harder They Fall, his 1954 Academy-award-winning screenplay for On the Waterfront, and his 1957 screenplay for A Face in the...
and co-written with Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Culture Clash may refer to:* Culture Clash , American performance troupe* Culture Clash , British band which plays Harare Jit music...
. The production earned a 2005 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Regional Musical.
Randolph-Wright's directing credits also include Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell is an American stage, film and television actor. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theatre since the early 1990s...
's acclaimed solo show Love/Life at Lincoln Center Theater, They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song
They're Playing Our Song is a musical with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch.In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven...
(in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brasil, Daniel Beaty's Emergency at the Geffen Theatre, Blood Knot, featuring music by Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
, at the American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater
American Conservatory Theater is a large non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, that offers both classical and contemporary theater productions. A.C.T. was founded in 1965 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in conjunction with the Pittsburgh Playhouse and Carnegie Tech by theatre and...
in San Francisco, and the world premiere of Oni Faida Lampley's Tough Titty at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a regional summer stock theatre on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, founded in 1954 by Williams College news director, Ralph Renzi, and drama program chairman, David C. Bryant. The theatre was conceived as a way to use the Adams...
. Charles also directed and co-wrote Me and Mrs. Jones, a musical which starred Lou Rawls
Lou Rawls
Louis Allen "Lou" Rawls was an American soul, jazz, and blues singer. He was known for his smooth vocal style: Frank Sinatra once said that Rawls had "the classiest singing and silkiest chops in the singing game"...
and featured the classic R&B music of the Sound of Philadelphia at the Prince Music Theatre, The Diva Is Dismissed, starring Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Lewis
Jenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American film and television actress and singer.-Early life:Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri, to a nurse's aid mother and a factory worker father. She attended college at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri...
at the Public Theater
Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers. It is headquartered at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in the East Village...
and the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, Homework starring Kim Coles
Kim Coles
Kimberley "Kim" Coles is an American actress and comedian.-Career:Coles has appeared on many television shows, including Frasier , Six Feet Under, Celebrity Mole and The Geena Davis Show...
, and Just Between Friends starring Bea Arthur, which toured internationally and was mounted in a Tony nominated run on Broadway.
Randolph-Wright's playwriting credits include Blue, which premiered at Arena Stage in April 2000. With music by Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx
Nona Hendryx is an American vocalist, producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music has ranged from soul, funk, dance, and R&B to hard rock, art...
and direction by Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps
Sheldon Epps is an American television and theatre director.-Career:Sheldon Epps was born in Los Angeles, California. He moved to Teaneck, New Jersey when he was 11 years old, where he attended the local public schools, and was first drawn to the stage while at Teaneck High School...
, it starred Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
, Hill Harper
Hill Harper
Francis Harper , known professionally as Hill Harper, is an American film, television and stage actor, and author. An alumnus of Harvard Law School, he is best known for his portrayal of Dr...
, and Michael McElroy
Michael McElroy
-Positions:McElroy leads atmospheric science and policy work at two major universities, Harvard and Columbia. He is Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies at Harvard, heads Harvard University's Center for the Environment and chairs the Interfaculty Initiative on the Environment...
. The Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
produced the New York premiere of the play in the summer of 2001. The play received a subsequent production at Pasadena Playhouse
Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engagements each year.-History:...
. Randolph-Wright also wrote and directed the premiere of Cuttin' Up at Arena Stage in the fall of 2005. Adapted from Craig Marberry's best selling book "Cuttin' Up: Wit and Wisdom from Black Barber Shops," subsequent productions of the play were produced at Pasadena Playhouse, Cleveland Play House
Cleveland Play House
The Cleveland Play House is a professional regional theater company located in Cleveland, OH. As of 2005, the artistic director is Michael Bloom, the eighth artistic director since its inception. In 2011 they moved operations to the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square Center.Founded in 1915,...
, and the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. His play, The Night Is A Child, premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater, founded by Mary Widrig John in 1954, as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, is now located on the east bank of the Milwaukee River in the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex at 108 E Wells St, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is home to an eleven member Resident Acting Company...
in March 2008 under the direction of Timothy Douglas. The play received its west coast premiere in September 2009 in a production at Pasadena Playhouse directed by Sheldon Epps and starring Jobeth Williams
JoBeth Williams
JoBeth Williams is an American film and television actress and director, and current President of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation.-Early life:...
.
Randolph-Wright received the 2010 Paul Robeson Award from Actors' Equity Association
Actors' Equity Association
The Actors' Equity Association , commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing the world of live theatrical performance, as opposed to film and television performance. However, performers appearing on live stage productions without a book or...
. The annual award honors individuals for their exemplary artistic and humanitarian achievements. Past recipients include Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis
Ossie Davis was an American film actor, director, poet, playwright, writer, and social activist.-Early years:...
, Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee
Ruby Dee is an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and activist, perhaps best known for co-starring in the film A Raisin in the Sun and the film American Gangster for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.-Early years:Dee was born Ruby...
, Lloyd Richards
Lloyd Richards
Lloyd George Richards was a Canadian-American theatre director, actor, and dean of the Yale School of Drama from 1979 to 1991, and Yale University professor emeritus.- Biography :...
, and Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier
Sir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
. In the summer of 2010, Randolph-Wright received a three-year playwright residency as part of Arena Stage's American Voices New Play Institute, which began in January 2011. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Roundabout Theatre where he created the "Different Voices" workshop series and the artistic board at Duke University. He's also the founder and artistic director of "Create Carolina", a multi-disciplinary intensive arts experience first established in 2007.
Television
Randolph-Wright's television credits include guest appearances on "Melrose Place", "Falcon CrestFalcon Crest
Falcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
" and "Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
." He's directed episodes of the series "Lincoln Heights
Lincoln Heights
Lincoln Heights may refer to:* Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles, California* Lincoln Heights, Ohio* Lincoln Heights , Ontario, a neighbourhood* Lincoln Heights, Washington, D.C., a neighbourhood...
" on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
and "South of Nowhere
South of Nowhere
South of Nowhere is an American teen drama television series created by Thomas W. Lynch. Aimed primarily at teenagers, it first aired on November 4, 2005 and was one of six original series on The N. The second half of the third and final season aired October 10, 2008 and the final episode aired on...
" on the N Network. Randolph-Wright was also the producer and writer of the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Linc's" and a writer/consultant on the Fox series "Lush Life." He has also directed many commercials, including the European "Freestyle" campaign for Nike, which won several international commercial awards, and music videos. His musical staging has been seen on a variety of programs, including "The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls
The Golden Girls is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris, which originally aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992. Starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the show centers on four older women sharing a home in Miami, Florida...
."
Film
Randolph-Wright made his directorial film debut with "Preaching To The Choir", which earned the 2005 American Black Film Festival’s Best Actor and Audience awards and its Grand Jury Prize. He has also developed screenplays for Showtime, HBO, Walt Disney Pictures, Victory Entertainment, Producers Entertainment Group, Tim Reid Productions, and 20th Century Fox. He also co-wrote the screenplay White Chocolate with John LeguizamoJohn Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
. Randolph-Wright was the co-producer of the Angela Davis Story for Castle Rock Entertainment, and developed the short film Family Tree (Disney).