Shirley Jo Finney, a theater director and actor known for the 1975 TV biopic “Wilma,” died on Oct. 10 following an eight-month battle with cancer. She was 74.
The Fountain Theatre announced the news of Finney’s death in a statement on Friday.
“It shatters my heart beyond expression to announce the passing of my artistic sister,” said Stephen Sachs, artistic director of the Fountain Theatre. “I am deeply, deeply devastated. She was my theatrical soulmate for 26 years.”
Finney directed eight productions over many years at the Fountain Theatre, including Endesha Ida Mae Holland’s “From the Mississippi Delta”; Stephen Sachs’ “Central Avenue”; Dael Orlandersmith’s “Yellowman”; Ifa Bayeza’s “The Ballad of Emmett Till”; Claudia Rankin and Stephen Sachs’ “Citizen: An American Lyric”; and Jeremy J. Kamps’ “Runaway Home,” among other titles. Finney and her productions received several accolades, including the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Award for best director for “Yellowman.
The Fountain Theatre announced the news of Finney’s death in a statement on Friday.
“It shatters my heart beyond expression to announce the passing of my artistic sister,” said Stephen Sachs, artistic director of the Fountain Theatre. “I am deeply, deeply devastated. She was my theatrical soulmate for 26 years.”
Finney directed eight productions over many years at the Fountain Theatre, including Endesha Ida Mae Holland’s “From the Mississippi Delta”; Stephen Sachs’ “Central Avenue”; Dael Orlandersmith’s “Yellowman”; Ifa Bayeza’s “The Ballad of Emmett Till”; Claudia Rankin and Stephen Sachs’ “Citizen: An American Lyric”; and Jeremy J. Kamps’ “Runaway Home,” among other titles. Finney and her productions received several accolades, including the Beverly Hills/Hollywood NAACP Theatre Award for best director for “Yellowman.
- 10/15/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
The Great Work Begins: Scenes from Angels In America, director Ellie Heyman’s star-packed, virtual reimagining of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic, has been named the year’s Outstanding Digital Theater production by the Drama League.
The award — one of five categories created by the Drama League specifically for this year’s pandemic-altered theater season — was announced Friday night at the 87th annual Drama League Awards, streamed worldwide through the interactive Awards Room platform.
For the first time since the league began presenting awards in 1922, theater companies and productions beyond New York’s Broadway and Off Broadway were able to compete, reflecting the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic shutdown season. Theater artists from across the nation who created digital and socially distanced theatrical productions were eligible in the five newly created categories.
In all, the 33 nominated productions, which premiered between March 12, 2020 and March 15, 2021, were selected from submissions by more...
The award — one of five categories created by the Drama League specifically for this year’s pandemic-altered theater season — was announced Friday night at the 87th annual Drama League Awards, streamed worldwide through the interactive Awards Room platform.
For the first time since the league began presenting awards in 1922, theater companies and productions beyond New York’s Broadway and Off Broadway were able to compete, reflecting the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic shutdown season. Theater artists from across the nation who created digital and socially distanced theatrical productions were eligible in the five newly created categories.
In all, the 33 nominated productions, which premiered between March 12, 2020 and March 15, 2021, were selected from submissions by more...
- 5/22/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will host a 25th Anniversary AlumniJam every Monday night in January. These four events will showcase 15 alumni playwrights who will revisit past productions and share new never-before-seen work. Participating writers include Bill Bowers, Jessica Dickey, William Francis Hoffman, Xavier Galva, Basil Kreimendahl, Michael Laurence, Jessica Litwak, Mashuq Mushtaq Deen, Matt Pepper, Tim Pickney, Diana Oh, Dael Orlandersmith, Jose Rivera, Cori Thomas, and Jonathan Tolins. These writers represent some of New York's greatest voices-Pulitzer finalists, Obie winners, and Academy Award nominees-who have shaped Off-Broadway theater over the last quarter century.
- 12/17/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Harry Potter and The Cursed Child: Parts One and Two, Angels in America, the Denzel Washington-starrer The Iceman Cometh and the Tina Fey-penned Mean Girls were among the Broadway productions scoring nominations for this year’s New York Drama League awards.
The 2018 Broadway and Off-Broadway nominees were announced in the categories of Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by Tony Award winners Harriet Harris, Julie White and nominee Christopher Sieber.
The 84th Annual Drama League Awards, the oldest theatrical honors in America, will be held Friday, May 18, 11:30 am at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.
Here is the complete list of nominees:
Outstanding Production Of A Broadway Or Off-broadway Play
Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore
Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch
Atlantic Theater Company...
The 2018 Broadway and Off-Broadway nominees were announced in the categories of Outstanding Production of a Play, Outstanding Revival of a Play, Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Revival of a Musical, and the Distinguished Performance Award. The nominations were announced this morning by Tony Award winners Harriet Harris, Julie White and nominee Christopher Sieber.
The 84th Annual Drama League Awards, the oldest theatrical honors in America, will be held Friday, May 18, 11:30 am at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.
Here is the complete list of nominees:
Outstanding Production Of A Broadway Or Off-broadway Play
Animal
Written by Clare Lizzimore
Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch
Atlantic Theater Company...
- 4/18/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Waterwell today announced a special command performance at Joe's Pub of its 2016 New Works Lab commission Some of the Things Inside, a bracingly honest play by one of the most singular and significant voices in the American theater Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award winner Dael Orlandersmith Forever, Yellowman, Beauty's Daughter. This year's installment of the annual developmental workshop series for the senior Drama class at the Professional Performing Arts School Ppas, Some of the Things Inside is directed by Allison Talis and will play Joe's Pub Monday, April 18th at 700pm.
- 4/13/2016
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
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