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Robert Hooks
Robert Hooks (born Bobby Dean Hooks; April 18, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and activist. Along with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone, he founded The Negro Ensemble Company. The Negro Ensemble Company is credited with the launch of the careers of many major black artists of all disciplines, while creating a body of performance literature over the last thirty years, providing the backbone of African-American theatrical classics. Additionally, Hooks is the sole founder of two significant black theatre companies: the D.C. Black Repertory Company, and New York's Group Theatre Workshop. Biography Early life The youngest of five children, Hooks was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C., to Mae Bertha (née Ward), a seamstress, and Edward Hooks, who had moved from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, with their four other children, Bernice, Caroleigh, Charles Edward "Charlie", and James Walter "Jimmy". Named Bobby Dean Hooks at birth, Robert was their first child born in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 1,603,797 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is the urban core of the Philadelphia metropolitan area (sometimes called the Delaware Valley), the nation's Metropolitan statistical area, seventh-largest metropolitan area and ninth-largest combined statistical area with 6.245 million residents and 7.379 million residents, respectively. Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, an English Americans, English Quakers, Quaker and advocate of Freedom of religion, religious freedom, and served as the capital of the Colonial history of the United States, colonial era Province of Pennsylvania. It then played a historic and vital role during the American Revolution and American Revolutionary ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985, and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and the Academy Honorary Award in 2011. Born in Arkabutla, Mississippi during the Jim Crow era, Jones overcame a childhood stutter. A pre-med major in college, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army during the Korean War before pursuing a career in acting. His deep voice was praised as a "stirring basso profondo that has lent gravel and gravitas" to his projects. Jones made his Broadway debut in the play '' Sunrise at Campobello'' (1957) and gained fame starring in s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Blacks (play)
''The Blacks'' () is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. Published in 1958, it was first performed in a production directed by Roger Blin at the Théâtre de Lutèce in Paris, France, which opened on 28 October 1959. __TOC__ Synopsis A review of the Theatre Royal Stratford East production (2007) states: In Genet's oeuvre In a prefatory note, Genet specifies the conditions under which he anticipates the play would be performed, revealing his characteristic concern with the politics and ritual of theatricality: After '' The Balcony'' in 1960, ''The Blacks'' was the second of Genet's plays to be staged in New York. The production was the longest-running Off-Broadway non-musical of the decade. This 1961 New York production opened on 4 May at the St. Mark's Playhouse and ran for 1,408 performances. It was directed by Gene Frankel, with sets by Kim E. Swados, music by Charles Gross, and costumes and masks by Patricia Zipprodt. The original cast featured James Earl Jo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jean Genet
Jean Genet (; ; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Thief's Journal'' and '' Our Lady of the Flowers'' and the plays '' The Balcony'', '' The Maids'' and '' The Screens''. Biography Early life Genet's mother was a prostitute who raised him for the first seven months of his life before placing him for adoption. Thereafter Genet was raised in the provincial town of Alligny-en-Morvan, in the Nièvre department of central France. His foster family was headed by a carpenter and, according to Edmund White's biography, was loving and attentive. While he received excellent grades in school, his childhood involved a series of attempts at running away and incidents of petty theft. Detention and military service For this and other misdemeanors, including repeated acts of vagrancy, he was sent at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Dee Williams
William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars'' franchise and has also appeared in critically acclaimed and popular titles such as ''Mahogany'' (1975), ''Scott Joplin'' (1977), and '' Nighthawks'' (1981), as Harvey Dent in ''Batman'' (1989) and '' The Lego Batman Movie'' (2017)'', The Last Angry Man'' (1959), '' Carter's Army'', '' The Out-of-Towners'' (1969), '' The Final Comedown'' and '' Lady Sings the Blues'' (both 1972), '' Hit!'' (1973), '' Fear City'' and '' Terror in the Aisles'' (both 1984), '' Alien Intruder'' (1993) and ''The Visit'' (2000). Raised in Harlem, Williams made his Broadway theatre debut at age seven in '' The Firebrand of Florence'' (1945). He later graduated from The High School of Music & Art, then won a painting scholarship to the National Academy of F ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Taste Of Honey
''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was adapted into an award-winning film of the same title in 1961. Set in Salford in North West England, it tells the story of Jo, a working class schoolgirl, and her mother, Helen, who is presented as tarty, foul mouthed and promiscuous. Helen leaves Jo alone in their new flat after she begins a relationship with Peter, a flashy, moneyed " wide boy" who is younger than her. At the same time Jo, who is white, begins a romantic relationship with Jimmy, a black sailor. Despite being only 15, she tells him she is nearly 18 and therefore nearly old enough to marry without parental permission. He proposes marriage but then goes to sea, leaving Jo pregnant and alone. She finds lodgings with a gay acquaintance, Geoffrey, who assumes the role of surrogate father. Helen returns after leaving her lover and the future of Jo's new home is put into question. ''A Taste of Honey'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis Gossett Jr
Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * Derived terms * King Louis (other) * Saint Louis (other) * Louis Cruise Lines * Louis dressing, for salad * Louis Quinze, design style Associated terms * Lewis (other) * Louie (other) * Luis (other) * Louise (other) * Louisville (other) Associated names * * Chlodwig, the origin of the name Ludwig, which is translated to English as "Louis" * Ladislav and László - names sometimes erroneously associated with "Louis" * Ludovic, Ludwig, Ludwick, Ludwik Ludwik () is a Polish given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ludwik Czyżewski, Polish WWII general * Ludwik Fleck (1896–1961), Polish medical doctor and biologist * Ludwik Gintel (1899–1973), Polish-Isra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Raisin In The Sun
''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Chicago, as they attempt to improve their financial circumstances with an insurance payout following the death of their father, and deals with matters of housing discrimination, racism, and assimilation. The New York Drama Critics' Circle named it the best play of 1959, and in recent years publications such as ''The Independent'' and '' Time Out'' have listed it among the best plays ever written. Plot Walter and Ruth Younger, and their son Travis, along with Walter's mother Lena (Mama) and younger sister Beneatha, live in poverty in a run-down two-bedroom apartment on Chicago's South Side. Walter is barely making a living as a limousine driver. Though Ruth is content with their lot, Walter desperately wishes for more. He hopes to invest i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bruce Dern
Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He has received several accolades, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the Silver Bear for Best Actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for '' Coming Home'' (1978) and the Academy Award for Best Actor for ''Nebraska'' (2013). He is also a BAFTA Award, two-time Genie Award, and three-time Golden Globe Award nominee. A member of the Actors Studio, he rose to prominence during the New Hollywood era through roles in films such as '' The Trip'' (1967), '' They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'' (1969), '' The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant'' (1971), and '' The Cowboys'' (1972). Other notable films include '' The Laughing Policeman'' (1973), '' The Great Gatsby'' (1974), '' Posse'' (1975), '' Family Plot'' (1976), '' Black Sunday'' (1977), '' The Driver'' (1978), '' Tattoo'' (1981), ''That Championship Season'' (1982), '' The 'Burbs'' (1989), '' Last Man Standing'' (1996 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Dierkop
Charles Richard Dierkop (September 11, 1936 – February 25, 2024) was an American character actor. He is most recognized for his supporting roles in the films ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969) and ''The Sting'' (1973) and the television series ''Police Woman'' (1974-1978). Early years Dierkop was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and attended Aquinas High School in La Crosse. He was raised by his aunt and uncle after his father left when Dierkop was an infant and his mother "left home when he was still a tot". Military service Dierkop dropped out of high school after his junior year and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served in Korea during the Korean War and was discharged from the Marine Corps at age 19. Upon his return, he lived with his mother in Philadelphia, and with the help of the G.I. Bill, he enrolled in the American Foundation of Dramatic Arts in Philadelphia. Career Dierkop was a lifetime member of the Actors Studio. His first role as a professional ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation at the Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia, then called Baptist Temple. Today, Temple is the List of colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, second-largest university in Pennsylvania by enrollment and awarded 9,128 degrees in the 2023–24 academic year. It has a worldwide alumni base of 378,012, with 352,175 alumni residing in the United States. The university consists of 17 schools and colleges, including five professional schools, offering over 640+ academic programs and over 160 undergraduate majors. about 30,005 undergraduate, graduate and professional students were enrolled at the university. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classified among "R1: Doctoral U ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
