Amber Iman shares five of the Black women in theatre who have influenced her.
"I will never forget the first time I heard The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin. It was one of the first times I heard, saw, and felt myself in a musical. She was young, vibrant, quirky and full of life—which most Black girls don't get to be on stage. Finding out that it was written by another phenomenal Black woman, Kirsten Childs, was the icing on the cake. "
Joan Marcus
"When I experienced Anna Deavere Smith in Notes from the Field, it was the first time I ever sat forward in a theatre and said, 'That's what I want my art to look like.' I couldn't get over the fact that a Black woman had her own one-woman show Off-Broadway. I was captivated by her power, her skill, the amount of research and transformation that went into creating all 18 characters, and the sheer brilliance of her performance."
Joan Marcus
Saycon Sengbloh and I grew up around the same time in Atlanta, Georgia. I was fortunate enough to see her play Celie in The Color Purple. It changed my life. Somebody that I knew made it to Broadway, which made it tangible, possible for me. Watching her absolutely command that stage gave me hope."
"Angela Robinson and I did Into The Woods together in Atlanta back in 2011. When I learned that I would get to work with a Broadway actor who was also a gorgeous Black woman, I prayed to God that she would be a nice person who might answer a couple questions about the big city. Angela surpassed my wildest dreams. She was kind, gracious, and generous. She took me under her wing, got me into Broadway Inspirational Voices, AND arranged a meeting with my first agents in NYC. She has become a sister friend who checks on me, supports me, prays for me, and loves on me! I am forever indebted to her."
I first came to know Dael Orlandersmith's work when I did her play Yellowman at Howard University. It was one of the most beautiful and heartbreaking pieces, and probably the most challenging role I've played: a role written for a dark-skinned woman, by a dark-skinned woman, that tackled love, race, class and colorism. When I finally got to see Dael live in her one-woman show, Forever at New York Theatre Workshop, I was transfixed. She and Anna Deavere Smith showed me that I could write and perform my own work, that a Black woman could carve out a space for herself and soar!"
Jocelyn Bioh shares five of the Black women in theatre who have influenced her.
"The very first straight play I ever performed in was Charlayne Woodard's Pretty Fire. I was a senior in high school and had just discovered my comedic chops. I was completely enamored with Charlayne's writing, her characters, and most importantly, that she looked like me."
"I have always been a huge fan of Viola Davis. I mean, who isn't? She's truly incredible. The first time I ever got to witness her on stage was in the 2010 Broadway revival of Fences. I don't think I breathed or blinked for two and half hours—I didn't want to miss an ounce of her performance. It was breathtaking."
"Like everyone else, I grew up with Phylicia Rashad via my television set. I never missed a Thursday night with my 'mom in my head,' Claire Huxtable. Over the years, I've been blessed to come to know Ms. Phylicia (as I refer to her) and she's always been so kind and gracious to me. I was privileged enough to see her perform on stage back in 2016 in Tarell McCraney's play Head of Passes. She performed a 45-minute monologue so exquisitely, I forgot I was in the theatre."
Craig Schwartz
"Lynn Nottage is my playwriting hero. I don't just read and study her plays, but I also enjoy them so much. From the way she crafts characters to her play structure, she is truly a legend. To this day, I thinkRuined is the most perfect play I've ever read/seen."
Marc J. Franklin
"When I was in graduate school getting my MFA in Theatre-Playwriting from Columbia University, I was given a ticket to see a play titled In The Continuum, written and performed by Nikkole Salter and Danai Gurira. It was the first time I had ever seen an African character on stage, being funny, real and so much like my mother, it scared me. Had I never seen that play, I don't know that I would have ever had the courage to write what I do now. I'm so thankful for that."
Danielle Brooks shares five of the Black women in theatre who have influenced her.
"To the cast of Black women that graced the stage of the original [Broadway production of] The Color Purple, thank you for your excellence. The Color Purple was the first Broadway show I ever witnessed, and that day my eyes were opened to what was possible for my life. Ten years later, I was able to make my Broadway debut in the role of Sofia in the revival production. Because of them, my dreams expanded."
"When I first heard Lillias White sing The Oldest Profession, she lit a fire under me that made me want to continue to strive to be the best that I could be."
Carol Rosegg
"LaTanya Richardson Jackson really is a gem to this community. She knows how to navigate language, and it feels like a master class every time you're watching her."
Patina Miller in Pippin
Michael Lutch
"Katori Hall is one of my favorite playwrights, because her words always stay true to the community she's writing about. I would love to direct one of her plays one day."
