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Lackawanna Blues
Background:
African-American playwright, director and producer George C. Wolfe is widely
known for directing Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Angels in
America: Millennium Approaches” (1993) and the musical “Bring in ‘Da Noise,
Bring in ‘Da Funk” (1996), starring Savion Glover. For his efforts, he took home
two Tony Awards. He also won an Obie Award after directing the off-Broadway
production “Spunk” (1989). Other notable credits include the Obba Babatunde
starring musical “Jelly’s Last Jam” (1991), “Angels in America: Perestroika
(1993, earned a Tony nomination) and “The Tempest” (1996, received a Tony
nomination).
One of Broadway’s most appreciated producers and directors, Mr. Wolfe recently
gained acclaim with his television movie direction for HBO’s Lackawanna Blues
(2005). He netted a Black Reel Award and a Directors Guild of America Award, as
well as an Emmy and an Image nomination for his fine work in the film.
Tony award-winning director Wolfe was one of NYC’s Public Theater’s three
resident directors in 1990, and in 1993. He replaced Joseph Papp’s selected
successor, Joanne Akalaitis, following her troubled 20-month tenure. Wolfe
became the only person besides Papp in the theater’s history to have the title
of producer. On a more private note, Wolfe is openly homosexual.
Frankfort’s Son
Childhood and Family:
In Frankfort, Kentucky, George C. Wolfe was born on September 23, 1954, to Anna
Wolfe, a teacher (died of heart disease in 1996), and Costello Wolfe, who worked
for Frankfort’s Department of Corrections. As a young child, he was sent to an
all-black private school at which his mother was a principal, and later, after a
family move, enrolled in the integrated Frankfort public school district. There,
he directed and performed in several plays as well as wrote poetry and prose for
the literary journal.
Upon graduating, George attended the historically-black Kentucky State
University, in Frankfort, Kentucky, but transferred to Pomona College in
Claremont, California, after his first year. He graduated with a B.A in
directing in 1976. He earned a M.F.A in Dramatic Writing/Musical Theatre from
New York University in 1983.
Angels in America
Career:
Frankfort, Kentucky, born and raised George C. Wolfe arrived in New York City
for the first time when he was 13, accompanying his mother while she was working
on her doctorate in education at NYU. With a B.A in theater under his belt, he
headed to Los Angeles and found himself teaching acting while writing and
directing plays for small theaters before finally moving to Gotham in 1979.
There, Wolfe taught acting at City College of New York and the Richard Allen
Center for Cultural Art, in addition to pursuing a master’s degree at his
parents’ alma mater, NYU.
In 1985, Wolfe wrote for the Playwrights Horizons-produced musical “Paradise,”
which was considered a flop, and went on to experience another disappointment in
the following year with “The Colored Museum.” Though it opened to rave reviews
at the Public Theatre’s Susan Stein Shiva Theatre, it was reported that many
actors rejected the idea of auditioning for roles. Wolfe’s luck started to
change in 1989 when he directed the Off-Broadway play “Spunk,” which he had
adapted from three stories by Zora Neale Hurston. Produced at L.A.’s Mark Taper
Forum, the play brought the director an Obie award. Produced at L.A.’s Mark
Taper Forum, “Spunk” was restaged at NYC’s Public Theater the next year. Still
in 1989, he also penned the 30-minute comedy “Hunger Chic,” helmed by Buck
Henry, and it aired as part of the PBS’ anthology series “Trying Times.”
1991 saw Wolfe produce “Blackout,” appear as himself in the docudrama Finding
Christa, as well as serve as co-director for “The Colored Museum” for PBS’
“Great Performance.” However, the director-playwright did not gain national
recognition until he wrote and staged the biographical musical “Jelly’s Last
Jam.” Starring Obba Babatunde as the jazz musician Jelly Roll Morton, the play
debuted at L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum in 1991 and moved to Broadway in the
following year, where it collected 11 Tony nominations, including one for Best
Book of a Musical and Best Director of a Musical. He further built a good
reputation two years later by receiving a Tony for his direction of 1993’s
“Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning drama about AIDS, politics and religion. With the production,
Wolfe made a name for himself as the first black director of a Broadway play
that was not black-themed. He also helmed “Fires in the Mirror” (1993), the
second half of Kushner’s epic “Angels in America: Perestroika (1993, earned a
1994 Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play), the NYSF production of
Oliver Mayer’s “Blade to the Heat” (1994) and “Twilight: Los Angeles 1992”
(1994), as well as served as the producer of Michael John LaChiusa’s musical
“The Petrified Prince” (1995).
Wolfe’s next breakthrough arrived in 1996 when he picked up his second Tony for
his outstanding directing in the Savion Glover dance musical “Bring in ‘Da
Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk.” He also nabbed his next Tony nomination for directing
1996’s “The Tempest,” which starred Patrick Stewart. Next, he worked in the
Public’s Central Park revival of “On the Town” (1997, as director), Arthur
Miller’s “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan” (1998, as producer), “The Wild Party” (2000,
as director and co-writer) and “Topdog/Underdog” (2001, as director), not to
mention his direction in a new translation of Bertolt Brecht’s “Mother Courage
and Her Children” and Tony Kushner’s “Caroline, or Change.”
Already popular as a stage director, in 2005, Wolfe attracted public attention
with his feature directorial debut, the well-received HBO original film
Lackawanna Blues, starring S. Epatha Merkerson and Marcus Carl Franklin. For his
bright effort, Wolfe was handed a Black Reel for Best Director – Television and
a Directors Guild of America for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies
for Television. He also earned an Independent Spirit nomination for Best First
Feature, an Image nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Feature
Film/Television Movie and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing for a
Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special.
Wolfe will direct and write the upcoming Untitled Kanye West Project (2007).
Awards:
