Podcast appearances and mentions of king hedley ii

Welcome to a new season of Broadway Nation — the podcast that delves deeply into the remarkable history of the Broadway musical, with a special focus on the Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists who invented it. My guest today is Tony Award-winning Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell. After a short break, I am excited to be back with a new season that will be jam-packed with fascinating Broadway history, including interviews with an amazing lineup of authors of some brilliant new books that take us back to the earliest days of Broadway and bring us right up to the twenty-first century — from George M. Cohan to how TikTok and the digital age have impacted the Broadway musical. Today, we start things off with a bang with a delightful conversation with Brian Stokes Mitchell, whose career spans over forty years on television, films, recordings, concert appearances, and, most notably for our purposes, ten Broadway shows. He made his Broadway debut in 1988 in a short-lived musical called Mail, and in 1990, he was cast as the lead in David Merrick's revival of the 1926 Gershwin musical Oh, Kay! He next went on to two very high-profile gigs — first replacing Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam and then Anthony Crivello in Kiss Of the Spiderwoman. In 1998, his unforgettable Tony-nominated performance as Coalhouse Walker in Ragtime firmly established him as a true Broadway star, and the following year, jumping from musical drama to musical comedy, he won the Tony Award for his performance in Kiss Me Kate. His performance in August Wilson's play, King Hedley II, in 2001 earned another Tony nomination, and the next year, he took on the title role in Man Of La Mancha. His most recent Broadway appearance was in 2016 in George Woolf's behind-the-scenes look at Shuffle Along, but as you will hear, Brian Stokes Mitchell may be back on Broadway very soon in a new musical that he is very excited about.  In addition, our conversation today ranges from two tear-inducing new video performances that he has recently been involved in creating and performing: a Ted Talk with Leer deBessonet, which you can find at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZNhuRIGQZs and "Hope" with Jason Robert Brown, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJkqV2xwars. Also, his work with The Entertainment Fund and the soon-to-be-released video capture of their reunion concert of Ragtime, as well as a peek inside his process and approach to interpreting a song. Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! This podcast is made possible in part by the generous support of our Patron Club Members, including our newest member, Alan Teasley. For just $7.00 a month, you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact, I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host, Albert Evans, that have not been featured on the podcast. All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgment of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation, there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gregg T. Daniel is best known for his recurring role as David Carter in HBO's show Insecure. In addition, he plays Reverend Daniels on another one of HBO's hit shows True Blood. With over 100 credits in film and television, Gregg's roles span the spectrum from comedy (I Am Not Okay With This) to drama (Insecure) to procedurals (911, Grey's Anatomy), science fiction (Star Trek: Voyager) and children's shows (Austin & Ally, Kickin' It). Big screen credits include Spiderman 3, 7th & Union, and Truth Or Dare. Gregg recurred on HBO's Insecure and starred in the award-winning film 7th And Union. Currently, he is set to be in the upcoming sequel of Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux. Gregg is a very accomplished theater director. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble. He was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award for helming the Los Angeles production of “Kwame Kwei-Armah's Elmina's Kitchen”, also winning the NAACP Award for Best Ensemble for 2013. In addition, he has directed three August Wilson Plays. Prior, his stage direction included 2009's acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's “Heroes”, Sybyl Walker's “Beneath Rippling Waters”, Lee Blessing's “Cobb”, and Frank McGuinness's “Someone Who'll Watch Over Me”. Gregg also directed Pulitzer Prize-winning author August Wilson's “Seven Guitars” For Theatre 150 in Ojai, California, he directed Athol Fugards' “Sizwe Bansi”, Diana Son's “Stop Kiss”, and the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner, “I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright”. Gregg has also directed and acted in various theater productions including, “Hamlet”, “Radio Golf”, and “Les Blancs”. He recently directed his fourth August Wilson play, "King Hedley II," at A Noise Within Theatre and is set to direct his fifth. This marks the halfway mark through the playwright's ten-play cycle.   @stagelync Thank you to our sponsor @clear-com The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com

Gregg T. Daniel is best known for his recurring role as David Carter in HBO's show Insecure. In addition, he plays Reverend Daniels on another one of HBO's hit shows True Blood. With over 100 credits in film and television, Gregg's roles span the spectrum from comedy (I Am Not Okay With This) to drama (Insecure) to procedurals (911, Grey's Anatomy), science fiction (Star Trek: Voyager) and children's shows (Austin & Ally, Kickin' It). Big screen credits include Spiderman 3, 7th & Union, and Truth Or Dare. Gregg recurred on HBO's Insecure and starred in the award-winning film 7th And Union. Currently, he is set to be in the upcoming sequel of Joker, Joker: Folie à Deux. Gregg is a very accomplished theater director. He is a founding member and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles-based Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble. He was nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award for helming the Los Angeles production of “Kwame Kwei-Armah's Elmina's Kitchen”, also winning the NAACP Award for Best Ensemble for 2013. In addition, he has directed three August Wilson Plays. Prior, his stage direction included 2009's acclaimed production of Tom Stoppard's “Heroes”, Sybyl Walker's “Beneath Rippling Waters”, Lee Blessing's “Cobb”, and Frank McGuinness's “Someone Who'll Watch Over Me”. Gregg also directed Pulitzer Prize-winning author August Wilson's “Seven Guitars” For Theatre 150 in Ojai, California, he directed Athol Fugards' “Sizwe Bansi”, Diana Son's “Stop Kiss”, and the 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner, “I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright”. Gregg has also directed and acted in various theater productions including, “Hamlet”, “Radio Golf”, and “Les Blancs”. He recently directed his fourth August Wilson play, "King Hedley II," at A Noise Within Theatre and is set to direct his fifth. This marks the halfway mark through the playwright's ten-play cycle.   “ATTENTION SPOTIFY LISTENERS: IF you want to WATCH this with VIDEO, you can also subscribe to our video version: https://open.spotify.com/show/5e9KnBRZdjUTXTvCe6Nrqm?si=6639537c61044396” @stagelync Thank you to our sponsor @clear-com The StageLync Podcast is a branch of our larger StageLync Community. Come visit us at www.stagelync.com

Interview with A Noise Within King Hedley II Director Gregg T. Daniel. www.latheatrebites.com

King Hedley II @ A Noise Within - 8.9 out of 10! Excellent Show! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! March 31 - April 28, 2024. www.latheatrebites.com

Today David Gallo joins us to discuss the life and work of playwright August Wilson. David Gallo is a Tony and Emmy Award-winning theater designer and artist. Broadway credits include First Date, Stickfly, The Mountain Top, Memphis, Reasons to Be Pretty, Xanadu, and the Drowsy Chaperone. His long-time association with August Wilson includes designing Broadway productions of King Hedley II, Jitney, Gem of the Ocean, and Radio Golf.

David Gallo is a Brooklyn-based artist who has served the entertainment industry as a scenic designer for theatre, TV, and concerts for several years. He is a member of United Scenic Artists local 829 and some of his awards/credits include:Tony ® Award for Best Scenic Design Drama Desk Award ("The Drowsy Chaperone", "Jitney", "Bunny Bunny")Daytime Emmy ® Award for Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design (redesign of "Sesame Street")NAACP Award ("King Hedley II")https://davidgallo.com/https://www.facebook.com/DavidGalloDesignNow is a great time to act on your dreams! If this episode helped you, please share to a friend!https://www.instagram.com/HyphensHaven/http://www.dreamofdrea.com/Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/DreamofDréa

Director Rikki Howie and Actor Mack Leamon appeared on the "Embracing Arlington Arts Talks" podcast to give us all the details about the upcoming production of "King Hedley II" being presented by Dominion Stage. Find out what the show is about, how it fits into August Wilson's Pittsburgh cycle of plays, how did Mack prepare for this role as King Hedley and get some insight behind why the set is done in a certain way. Although hear how both ended up in the theater industry.

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley chats with actor André De Shields, who won a Tony for Broadway's "Hadestown," which opens at the Kennedy Center tomorrow. De Shields stopped by in 2015 alongside director Timothy Douglas to discuss August Wilson's "King Hedley II" at Arena Stage, as well as De Shields' memories of originating the title role of "The Wiz." You'll also hear from Tony winner Levi Kreis ("Million Dollar Quartet"), who takes over the role of Hermes from De Shields on the "Hadestown" national tour at the Kennedy Center.

Stephen McKinley Henderson has a resume that most actors in his generation would — and probably do — envy. Trained first at Juilliard and then at UNCSA, he has been working steadily onstage for more than four decades, performing in classical and contemporary plays in theaters around the country. In 1996 he originated the role of Turnbo in August Wilson's “Jitney” in Pittsburgh and then went on to play the part many more times around the country, including in a hugely successful Off-Broadway run that netted him a Drama Desk Award. He eventually played the part at the National Theatre in London in 2001 in a production that won “Jitney” the Olivier Award for Best Play. Since then, he has appeared on Broadway several more times, including in two August Wilson plays, “King Hedley II” and “Fences,” earning a Tony nomination for best supporting actor in the latter. In recent years Stephen has also amassed an impressive film resume. When Denzel Washington directed “Fences” for the screen, he asked his Broadway castmate Stephen to reprise his role in the film adaptation. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, Stephen was featured in three films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: “Fences,” “Manchester by the Sea” and “Lady Bird.” Later this year he will appear in one of the most anticipated films of recent years, Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of “Dune,” and he recently wrapped filming in horror auteur Ari Aster's latest film, “Disappointment Blvd,” starring Joaquin Phoenix. In this interview with Pier Carlo Talenti, Stephen reveals how as a young man a terrifying period of literal and metaphoric paralysis helped make him the artist he is today, a revolutionary optimist that renowned directors and playwrights alike know they can trust explicitly with their work.

这周调戏栏目分享的剧目是这部美国剧作家 Augusut Wilson 奥古斯特·威尔逊 1984 年的话剧「莱妮大妈的黑臀」Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom。这部话剧最近被 Netflix 翻拍成为同名电影，也正好是今年奥斯卡奖最佳男主提名，Chuck Boseman （漫威海报扮演者），生前最后一部作品，电影的中文名叫「蓝调天后」。威尔逊以编年史的方式创作了10部发生在匹兹堡的系列话剧，分别展现了20世纪美国黑人在每一个10年的历史。Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom 的故事发生在 1920 年代。威尔逊的匹兹堡系列话剧 Pittsburg Cycle分别是：1900s: Gem of the Ocean (2003)1910s: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1986)1920s: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1984)1930s: The Piano Lesson (1987)1940s: Seven Guitars (1995)1950s: Fences (1985)1960s: Two Trains Running (1990)1970s: Jitney (1982)1980s: King Hedley II (1999)1990s: Radio Golf (2005)节目中提到的作品信息：电影「蓝调天后」Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Netflixhttps://movie.douban.com/subject/34439631/电影「冲出康普顿」Straight Outta Compton, F Gary Grayhttps://movie.douban.com/subject/3608742/电影「为奴十二年」12 Years a Slave，Steve McQueenhttps://movie.douban.com/subject/6879185/电影「白宫管家」The Butler，Lee Danielshttps://movie.douban.com/subject/3292949/美术馆National Museum of African American History & Culture, Smithsonianhttps://nmaahc.si.edu See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Adam and Budi interview Dramaturg Taylor BarfieldTaylor Barfield is a dramaturg, writer, and theater artist from Baltimore, MD. He currently serves as the Literary Manager for Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ. Before that, he was the Associate Artistic Director at Collaboraction Theatre Company in Chicago, IL. Select freelance dramaturgy credits include Nothing to Lose (But Our Chains) (Second City/Woolly Mammoth), Electra (Court Theatre), Cymbeline (Yale Repertory Theatre), Barbecue (Strawdog), and Megastasis (Eclipse Theatre Company). Taylor also served as assistant director for the world premiere productions of Cadillac Crew (Yale Repertory Theatre), Man in the Ring (Court Theatre), and War (Yale Repertory Theatre), the Midwest premiere of Paradise Blue (Timeline Theatre), and the east coast premiere of Native Son (Yale Repertory Theatre). He received his M.F.A. in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism from the Yale School of Drama and his B.A. in Molecular/Cellular Biology and English Literature from Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a D.F.A. candidate at the Yale School of Drama where his dissertation explores how contemporary African American playwrights re-imagine and re-stage black theater history. Taylor is also a member of the 2021 REALITY Leadership Institute. Mentioned in this episode:August Osage CountyDunbar Baldwin Hughes TheaterYahya Abdul Mateen IIActors Equity AssociationMamadou AthieFOLKSSarah WilliamsAugust Wilson American Century Cycle (first performance order)Jitney (set in the '70s) Fences (set in the '50s)Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (set in the '20s)Joe Turner's Come and Gone (set in the 1910s)The Piano Lesson (set in the '30s)Two Trains Running (set in the '60s)Seven Guitars (set in the '40s)King Hedley II (set in the '80s)Gem of the Ocean (set in the 1900s)Radio Golf (set in the '90s)Tori SampsonTwo River Theatre CompanyLark TheatreNew DramatistsPage 73Re-framing the Critic EF's Visit to a Small PlanetBeehive dramaturgyMusic credit: https://www.purple-planet.com

The Revival is a brand new, digital documentary series created by Nottingham Playhouse and Theatre Royal Stratford East. Each episode explores a different production and gives audiences a new perspective of the work. In the second episode, Artistic Directors Adam Penford and Nadia Fall chat to some of the team from Theatre Royal Stratford East's ‘staggering’ (The Stage) 2019 production King Hedley II by August Wilson.Hear from cast members Lenny Henry, Dexter Flanders and Cherrelle Skeete, alongside executor of August Wilson Estate, Constanza Romero Wilson, and Monica White, a director and Black Theatre scholar, who provided insight during the rehearsal process for the production.If you’ve enjoyed listening to our podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider donating to our Curtain Up Appeal which allows us to keep creating and will help to secure our future:​ www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/support/curtain-up-appeal/ ​

This week, I’m chatting with two-time Tony Award-winning singer Brian Stokes Mitchell, whose career spans Broadway, television, film, and concerts. Brian is recovering from Covid-19 and shares his health journey with me. He details his "Impossible Dream" the song he sings nightly to his Manhattan neighbors and his work with The Actors Fund “Stars in The House” concert series and Americans for the Arts, to help artists affected by the pandemic.   Dubbed “the last leading man” by The New York Times, Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell has enjoyed a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances with the country’s finest conductors and orchestras. He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tony-nominated performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime. In 2016 he was awarded his second Tony Award, the prestigious Isabelle Stevenson Tony for his Charitable work with The Actors Fund.  That same year Stokes was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.  Brian’s bio   Brian Stokes Mitchell Official Website Brian’s new solo album “Plays With Music”  Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @bstokesmitchell    For more information, please visit www.TamsenFadal.com or Broadway Profiles 

This week on Arts Magazine, guests from the Carlsen Center will talk about the 6th annual presentation of, “New Dance Partners”, and later on, guests from Melting Pot Productions will […] The post “New Dance Partners” & “King Hedley II” appeared first on KKFI.

KING HEDLEY II Episode 8 - Stratford East Podcast We spoke with Constanza Romero Wilson about August Wilson's legacy, specially King Hedley II, taking place at Stratford East from 17 May - 15 Jun 2019.

Martina Laird returns to the stage as 'Ruby' in August Wilson's play King Hedley II. Directed by Stratford East Artistic Director Nadia Fall (The Village), King Hedley II follows one man's quest for redemption after being released from prison and features Lenny Henry in his Stratford East debut as smooth-talking hustler 'Elmore'.   Her stage credits include Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East); Shakespeare Trilogy (Donmar Warehouse); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (National Theatre/Talawa Theatre Company). Her television credits include EastEnders, Blitz, Casualty, The Bay, Epiphany, Jericho, The Dumping Ground, London's Burning, Shameless, The Bill and Peak Practice. King Hedley II is set in 1985 and forms part of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of plays that documents the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. Other works in the Pittsburgh Cycle include Fences (adapted into a film starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.  Alongside Sir Lenny, Laird shares the stage with Aaron Pierre (Krypton) and Cherrelle Skeete (Fun Home, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).
We caught up with her to find out more about Ruby and the importance of August Wilson's work... King Hedley II runs at the Royal Theatre Stratford East until Sunday 15th June 2019. Find out more and book tickets: https://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/king-hedley-ii

Lenny Henry discusses his latest role as Elmore in August Wilson’s play King Hedley II. King is a young black man, just out of prison, who dreams of starting a business and a family. Then the smooth-talking, crap-shooting hustler Elmore wanders in and changes the dynamic in the yard. Artistic director Nadia Fall tells Samira why she has brought this epic, set in Pittsburgh in the Reagan era, to the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, and announces her plans for her second season there. The celebrated comic artist and graphic novelist Posy Simmonds, famous for her satirical long-running comic strips Gemma Bovary and Tamara Drewe in The Guardian, and books including Cassandra Darke, discusses her first major UK retrospective covering a 50-year career. The Central Park Five are the subject of a new true crime drama from Netflix. When They See Us centres on the wrongful conviction of five teenagers of colour for violent rape in New York in 1989 and their following 25-year fight to prove their innocence. The show is directed by Ava DuVernay who’s known for her critically acclaimed films Selma about Martin Luther King, and the documentary 13th, which considers the high percentage of African-Americans in US prisons. Dreda Say Mitchell reviews the drama. And poet, performer and juggler Gruffudd Owen on being the new Welsh-language children's laureate. Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Jerome Weatherald

TBB Talks to Cherrelle Skeete about her current role in King Hedley II Actress Cherrelle Skeete's acting CV includes A Small Place (Gate Theatre) and Fun Home (Young Vic). In 2017 Skeete played Rose Granger-Weasley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre) in a groundbreaking colourblind casting move. She has also starred in popular TV shows including Doctors, Call the Midwife and Lenny Henry's autobiographical TV film Danny and the Human Zoo.  If that wasn't enough Skeete also co-founded Blacktress UK, a networking group for black women actors of the African diaspora. The collective just enjoyed a run of productions at the Tristan Bates Theatre. If that wasn't enough Skeete also co-founded Blacktress UK, a network group for black women actors of the African diaspora. The collective just enjoyed a run of productions at the Tristan Bates Theatre. King Hedley II is set in 1985 and forms part of African American playwright August Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, a series of plays that documents the African American experience in each decade of the 20th century. Other works in the Pittsburgh Cycle include Fences (adapted into a film starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis) and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. This is a rare opportunity to see one of America's most prolific writers on a British stage - so don't miss out.  King Hedley II runs at Stratford East Theatre until Saturday 15th June 2019 https://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/king-hedley-ii

Memoir Of War,based on Marguerite Duras's book “La Douleur” is set in Occupied France. Critical opinion has varied widely from 'dreadful' and 'empty' to 'masterpiece'. What will our reviewers make of it? King Hedley II starring Lenny Henry, has opened at the Theatre Royal Stratford East Gerald Murnane's novel A Season On Earth tells the tale of a lustful teenager in Melbourne in the 1950s. It was originally published in 1976 and is now reissued as was originally intended; with two previously unseen new chapters Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham palace brings together more than 200 of his drawings from the Royal Collection, forming the largest exhibition of Leonardo's work in over 65 years. When They See Us is a new series beginning on Netflix. Directed by Ava DuVernay which tells the true story of the 1989 Central Park Jogger case in which five juvenile males – four African-American and one Hispanic – were convicted of the crimes. They spent time in jail and were eventually cleared 25 years later Tom Sutcliffe's guests are Laura Freeman, Jim White and Lynn Shepherd. The producer is Oliver Jones Podcast Extra recommendations: Jim: Free Solo and Dawn Wall Laura: Barbara Hepworth/Ben Nicholson at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert Gallery Lynn: Don Giovanni at Garsington Opera Tom: BBC podcast Shreds

Anne McElvoy reads a new biography of Chaucer by Marion Turner called Chaucer: A European Life and talks to writer Bernardine Evaristo about her depiction of 12 characters aged 12 to 93 in her novel Girl, Woman, Other and to Candice Carty-Williams about her best-selling first novel and podcast Queenie. Plus Matt Wolf looks at representations of money, capitalism and the American dream on stage. You can hear Queenie being read on BBC Radio 4 here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p075drzy All My Sons by Arthur Miller with Sally Field and Bill Pullman in the cast runs at the Old Vic Theatre until June 8th. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller with Wendell Pierce, Sharon D Clarke and Arinzé Kene runs at the Young Vic Theatre until 29th June The Lehman Trilogy by Stefano Massini adapted by Ben Power runs at the Picadilly Theatre in London's West End in May for a 12 week run. King Hedley II by August Wilson runs at the Theatre Royal Stratford East from 17th May to 15th June. Producer: Fiona McLean

Jamil Jude is a director, producer, playwright, and dramaturg. Self-identifying as an "Artist Plus", Jamil feels most at home bringing socially relevant art to the community. Jamil is the Associate Artistic Director at Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta, GA as well as the Co-Founder of The New Griots Festival. He was a participant in the Leadership U: One-on-One program, funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group. The program provided him a residency at  Park Square Theatre, in St. Paul, MN, where he worked as Artistic Programming Associate. Prior to that, he served as the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer-in-Residence at Mixed Blood Theatre Company. Jamil has helmed productions for companies such as the Olney Theatre, Forum Theatre, and Curious Theatre, as well as various Twin Cities’ theatre companies, including Park Square Theatre, History Theatre, Freshwater Theatre, Stages Theatre Company, and Daleko Arts. Jamil's next directing project is KING HEDLEY II at True Colors, running 2/13 through 3/11/2018. Jamil talks with Marc about sharing the African Diaspora experience through his work, his new role with True Colors Theatre, his vision for 21st century theater with more community conversations around the art, his deep appreciation for the plays of August Wilson, and his desire and hope for more diversity and opportunities for people of color in theater communities.

Today we are asking you, our listening audience, to call in with your comments about Oprah's Next Chapter-Black Women In Hollywood. We are also featuring Trena Bolden Fields' interview with award winning actress, Lillie Richardson on how to build resilience in the acting industry. Lillie Richardson is an award winning actress originally from Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She recently performed with Arizona Theatre Company in Sunshine Boys. She last performed with ATC in the award winning farce, Scapin. Ms. Richardson resides in both Tempe, AZ and Los Angeles these days working on both film and stage. Previous stage credits include her portrayal of Rose in BTT's Fences which won her a Zoni Award for best Actress, Claudia in The Bluest Eye and Undine in Fabulation. She appeared as the Angel in both parts of Angels in America, as Ms Muller in Doubt, and as Elizabeth in the hilarious comedy In the Next Room with Actors Theatre. Some of her favorite roles include Tonya in King Hedley II, Paulina in Death and the Maiden, Sylvia in The Women, Alais in  Lion in Winter;  Susie in Wit; and Karen in Speed the Plow. Her film and television credits include the role of Shauna in six episodes of the Starz original series, Crash,  Linda in This Bitter Earth,  Truth about Jane, Young Riders, Seduced and Betrayed and Warner Bros. The Fugitive.

LaShawn Allen-Muhammad, CEO, The Entrepreneurs of New York. Will Host A Tribute To Honor The Memory of  Lou Myers: Actor Lou Myers, best known for his role as ornery restaurant owner Mr. Gaines on the television series "A Different World," has died at age 76. A native of Chesapeake, W.Va., Myers had returned to the state and lived in the Charleston area. His TV credits included "NYPD Blue," ''E.R.," ''The Cosby Show," ''Touched by an Angel," and more. He also appeared in a number of films, including "Tin Cup," ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back," ''Wedding Planner" and more.   "A Different World" ran from 1987-93 and originally starred Lisa Bonet from "Cosby" fame. Myers said he owed his introduction to Hollywood to Bill Cosby.     Myers also appeared on Broadway including "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" African American Style and "Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple." In 2005, the Appalachian Education Initiative listed Myers as one of 50 "Outstanding Creative Artists" from the state of West Virginia and featured him in their coffee table book Art & Soul. He began singing jazz and blues with the touring company of "Negro Music in Vogue,. His Cabaret show has been acclaimed in Berlin, Paris, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and New York, as well as Los Angeles. Myers was chairman of Global Business Incubation that helps urban small businesses and chairman of the Lou Myers Scenario Motion Picture Institute/Theatre. He won a NAACP "Best Actor" award for playing the Stool Pigeon in "King Hedley II," a play by August Wilson.

The extraordinary legacy of playwright August Wilson and his 10-play cycle of African-American life in the 20th Century is explored in a two-part program. First, a panel of Wilson's collaborators -- producer James Houghton (Signature Theatre Company), dramaturg Todd Kreidler, director Kenny Leon (Radio Golf, Gem of the Ocean), actor/director Ruben Santiago Hudson (Tony Award winner for 1997’s Seven Guitars), producer Jack Viertel (Radio Golf) -- discuss the process of developing and producing Wilson's plays. In the second half, the depth and variety of Wilson's characters are explored by Stephen McKinley Henderson (Jitney, King Hedley II), Harry Lennix (Radio Golf), Tonya Pinkins (Tony winner for Jelly’s Last Jam) and Phylicia Rashad Gem of the Ocean and 2004 Tony winner for the revival of A Raisin in the Sun), joined by director Kenny Leon.

The extraordinary legacy of playwright August Wilson and his 10-play cycle of African-American life in the 20th Century is explored in a two-part program. First, a panel of Wilson's collaborators -- producer James Houghton (Signature Theatre Company), dramaturg Todd Kreidler, director Kenny Leon ("Radio Golf", "Gem of the Ocean"), actor/director Ruben Santiago Hudson ("Gem of the Ocean", "Seven Guitars"), producer Jack Viertel ("Radio Golf") -- discuss the process of developing and producing Wilson's plays. In the second half, the depth and variety of Wilson's characters are explored by Stephen McKinley Henderson ("Jitney", "King Hedley II"), Harry Lennix ("Radio Golf"), Tonya Pinkins ("Radio Golf") and Phylicia Rashad ("Gem of the Ocean"), joined by director Kenny Leon.