Simply Heavenly
''Simply Heavenly'' is a musical comedy with book and lyrics by Langston Hughes and music by David Martin, based on Hughes' novel ''Simple Takes A Wife'' and other ''Simple'' stories.
The story is concerned with Jess Simple, an honest, easy-goin ...
''. Later that year, she debuted on
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in the multiple
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
-nominated musical, ''
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
'' as an understudy for Lena Horne (also making her Broadway debut).
Another notable early performance was in Jean Genet's play, '' The Blacks: A Clown Show'', which ran off-Broadway for 1,408 performances and received three Obie Awards, including Best New Play. The impressive cast of
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
actors included three future
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominees:
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...
,
Cicely Tyson
Cicely Louise Tyson (December 19, 1924January 28, 2021) was an American actress. In a career which spanned more than seven decades in film, television and theatre, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. Tyson recei ...
and
Louis Gossett Jr.
Louis Cameron Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936) is an American actor. Born in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, He had his stage debut at the age of 17, in a school production of '' You Can't Take It with You.'' Shortly after he successfully ...
Throughout her career, Ayler appeared frequently with the
Negro Ensemble Company
The Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) is a New York City-based theater company and workshop established in 1967 by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, producer-actor Robert Hooks, and theater manager Gerald S. Krone, with funding from the Ford Foundation ...
. This included notable performances in ''The First Breeze of Summer'', '' Eden'' and '' Nevis Mountain Dew''.
On television, Ayler had a recurring role as Carrie Hanks, Clair Huxtable's mother on ''
The Cosby Show
''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...
''. She also made memorable performances in the films ''
To Sleep with Anger
''To Sleep with Anger'' is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett.
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, h ...
'' (1990) and
Eve's Bayou
''Eve's Bayou'' is a 1997 American Southern Gothic drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this film. Samuel L. Jackson served as a producer, and starred in the film with Lisa Nicole Carson, Jurnee Smo ...
(1997).
For her work in ''
To Sleep with Anger
''To Sleep with Anger'' is a 1990 American black comedy film written and directed by Charles Burnett.
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, h ...
'', Ayler received a nomination for the
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepen ...
.
Ayler's last Broadway appearance was in another Tony-nominated production, ''The Little Foxes'', in 1997. On November 18, 2018, she died in Loma Linda, California, at the age of 88.Ethel Ayler obituary /ref>