Douglas Turner Ward

Douglas Turner Ward
Douglas Turner Ward in 2012 documentary The Lion at Rest
Born Roosevelt Ward Jr.
(1930-05-05) May 5, 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 (born 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]

Personal life

Turner was born in Burnside, Louisiana. His father was Roosevelt Ward and his mother was Dorothy Ward (née Short).[2] Ward is married to Diana Powell Ward. They have a daughter, Elizabeth Ward.[3]

Career

As an actor, he made his Broadway debut in a small role in A Raisin in the Sun.[4] 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.[5][6]

In 1967, he was one of the founders of the Negro Ensemble Company and served for many years as its artistic director.

Selected credits

Theatre

Directing

Year Production Theatre(s) Notes
1982 A Soldier's Play[7] Lucille Lortel Theatre Drama Desk Award nomination[6]
1980 Zooman and the Sign[8] Theatre Four
1979 Home[9][10] St. Mark's Playhouse
1975 The First Breeze of Summer[11] St. Mark's Playhouse
1972 The River Niger[12] St. Mark's Playhouse
1970 Day of Absence[13] St. Mark's Playhouse Part of a program of two one-act plays with Brotherhood.
Brotherhood[13] St. Mark's Playhouse Part of a program of two one-act plays with Day of Absence.
1968 Daddy Goodness[14] St. Mark's Playhouse

Writing

Year Production Theatre(s) Notes
1983 The Redeemer[15] Theatre Four Part of a program of three one-act plays, entitled About Heaven and Earth.
1970 Day of Absence[13] St. Mark's Playhouse Part of a program of two one-act plays with Brotherhood.
Brotherhood[13] St. Mark's Playhouse Part of a program of two one-act plays with Day of Absence.
1969 The Reckoning[16] St. Mark's Playhouse
1965 Day of Absence[17] St. Mark's Playhouse Part of a program of two one-act plays with Happy Ending.
Happy Ending[17] 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[15] Tigus Theatre Four Part of a program of three one-act plays, entitled About Heaven and Earth.
1975 The First Breeze of Summer[11] Harper Edwards St. Mark's Playhouse
1972 The River Niger[18][19][20] Johnny Williams St. Mark's Playhouse[18]
Brooks Atkinson Theatre[19][20]		 Obie Award, Distinguished Performance[18]
Tony Award nomination, Best Featured Actor in a Play[19]
1969 Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[21] Mr. Russell B. Parker St. Mark's Playhouse Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Performance[6]
1959 A Raisin in the Sun[4] Moving Man
Bobo (understudy)
Walter Lee Younger (understudy)		 Ethel Barrymore Theatre
Belasco Theatre

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ↑ Lopez, Oscar (January 4, 2016). "Fighting with Guerrilla Theater After the Death of Eric Garner". Newsweek. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Douglas Turner Ward Chronology". The Douglas Turner Ward Quarterly. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Weddings; Elizabeth Ward, Manuel Cuprill Jr". The New York Times. July 19, 1998. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "A Raisin in the Sun". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Douglas Turner Ward". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
  7. ↑ "A Soldier's Play". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on January 6, 2005. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  8. ↑ "Zooman and the Sign". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  9. ↑ "Home". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Home – Theatre Four — Cort Theatre". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  11. 1 2 "The First Breeze of Summer". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  12. ↑ "The River Niger". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Daddy Goodness". New York, New York: Lortel Archives:Internet off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  15. 1 2 "About Heaven and Earth". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  16. ↑ "The Reckoning". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  17. 1 2 "Happy Ending/Day of Absence". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  18. 1 2 3 "The River Niger". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  19. 1 2 3 "The River Niger". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  20. 1 2 "The River Niger". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  21. ↑ "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
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