Douglas Turner Ward
| Douglas Turner Ward | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Roosevelt Ward Jr. 5 May 1930 Burnside, Louisiana U.S. |
| Occupation | Playwright, actor, director, theatrical producer |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
| Information | |
| Period | 1959–present |
| Debut works | Happy Ending and Day of Absence (1965) |
| Magnum opus | Happy Ending/Day of Absence |
| Awards |
Drama Desk Award Happy Ending and Day of Absence |
Douglas Turner Ward (May 5, 1930) is an American playwright, actor, director and theatrical producer best known as a founder and artistic director of the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC).[1]
Early life
Turner was born in Burnside, Louisiana. His father was Roosevelt Ward and his mother was Dorothy Ward (née Short).[2]
Career
As an actor, he made his Broadway debut in a small role in A Raisin in the Sun.[3] However, his first significant artistic achievement would be as a playwright. Happy Ending/Day of Absence, a program of two one-act plays premiered at the St. Mark's Playhouse in Manhattan on November 15, 1965 and ran for 504 performances. Ward received a Drama Desk Award for his playwrighting.[4][5]
In 1967, he was one of the founders of the Negro Ensemble Company and served for many years as its artistic director.
Personal life
Ward is married to Diana Powell Ward, who made a documentary called Where Two Rivers Meet which tells the story of one of Ward's ancestors, a slave named Elnora who was owned by the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Nathan Bedford Forrest.[1][6] They have a daughter, Elizabeth Ward.[7]
Selected Credits
Theatre
Directing
| Year | Production | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | A Soldier's Play[8] | Lucille Lortel Theatre | Drama Desk Award nomination[5] |
| 1980 | Zooman and the Sign[9] | Theatre Four | |
| 1979 | Home[10][11] | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1975 | The First Breeze of Summer[12] | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1972 | The River Niger[13] | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1970 | Day of Absence[14] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Brotherhood. |
| Brotherhood[14] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Day of Absence. | |
| 1968 | Daddy Goodness[15] | St. Mark's Playhouse |
Writing
| Year | Production | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Redeemer[16] | Theatre Four | Part of a program of three one-act plays, entitled About Heaven and Earth. |
| 1970 | Day of Absence[14] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Brotherhood. |
| Brotherhood[14] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Day of Absence. | |
| 1969 | The Reckoning[17] | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1965 | Day of Absence[18] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Happy Ending. |
| Happy Ending[18] | St. Mark's Playhouse | Part of a program of two one-act plays with Day of Absence. |
Acting
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Tigus[16] | Tigus | Theatre Four | Part of a program of three one-act plays, entitled About Heaven and Earth. |
| 1975 | The First Breeze of Summer[12] | Harper Edwards | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1972 | The River Niger[19][20][21] | Johnny Williams | St. Mark's Playhouse[19] Brooks Atkinson Theatre[20][21] |
Obie Award, Distinguished Performance[19] Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actor in a Play[20] |
| 1969 | Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[22] | Mr. Russell B. Parker | St. Mark's Playhouse | Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Performance[5] |
| 1959 | A Raisin in the Sun[3] | Moving Man Bobo (understudy) Walter Lee Younger (understudy) |
Ethel Barrymore Theatre Belasco Theatre |
Awards and nominations
- 1966 Drama Desk Award for Happy Ending and Day of Absence[5]
- 1968 Drama Desk Award (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company)[5]
- 1969 Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Performance) for Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[5]
- 1969 Tony Award Special Award (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company)[5]
- 1974 Tony Award, Best Play (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company) for The River Niger[5]
- 1974 Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actor in a Play for The River Niger[5]
- 1976 Tony Award nomination, Best Play (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company) for The First Breeze of Summer[5]
- 1979 Drama Desk Award nomination, Outstanding New Play (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company) for Nevis Mountain Dew[5]
- 1982 Drama Desk Award nomination, Outstanding New Play (with Robert Hooks and Gerald S. Krone, Negro Ensemble Company) for A Soldier's Play[5]
- 1982 Drama Desk Award nomination, Outstanding Director of a Play for A Soldier's Play[5]
References
- 1 2 Lopez, Oscar (4 January 2016). "Fighting with Guerrilla Theater After the Death of Eric Garner". Newsweek. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Douglas Turner Ward Chronology". The Douglas Turner Ward Quarterly. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- 1 2 "A Raisin in the Sun". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ↑ "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Douglas Turner Ward". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-03.
- ↑ "Sponsored Projects: Where Two Rivers Meet". Women Make Movies. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "Weddings; Elizabeth Ward, Manuel Cuprill Jr.". The New York Times. 19 July 1998. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ↑ "A Soldier's Play". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "Zooman and the Sign". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "Home". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "Home – Theatre Four — Cort Theatre". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 "The First Breeze of Summer". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "The River Niger". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 3 4 "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "Daddy Goodness". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 "About Heaven and Earth". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "The Reckoning". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 3 "The River Niger". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 3 "The River Niger". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- 1 2 "The River Niger". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
- ↑ "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
External links
- Douglas Turner Ward at the Internet Movie Database
- Douglas Turner Ward at the Internet Broadway Database
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