Hope Clarke (born March 23, 1941) is an American actress, dancer, vocalist,

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

, and director. Clarke performed as principal dancer with the

Katherine Dunham Company The Katherine Dunham Company, a troupe of dancers, singers, actors and musicians, was the first African-American modern dance company. Founded in Chicago, it grew out of Ballet Nègre, a student troupe founded in 1930 by Katherine Dunham (1909–20 ...

and the

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate a ...

, 1960s; actress on stage, film, and television, 1970s–1980s; choreographer and director, 1980s--. Clarke served on the

Tony Awards 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 cer ...

Nominating Committee for the 2011–12 Broadway season. Clarke made history in 1995 when she became the first African American, as well as the first African-American woman, to direct and choreograph a major staging of the opera-musical ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', itse ...

''. Clarke's production of the

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

classic was staged in celebration of the work's 60h anniversary, and it toured not only major American cities but

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

as well. Clarke drew critical acclaim for her commitment to staging the show as a monument to African-American community and pride, giving a more hopeful, positive aura to a story that has been criticized for its stereotypes. As for the director herself, the success of ''Porgy and Bess'' is just the latest accolade in a long career devoted to dance and drama.

Biography

Early life and career

A native of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, Clarke grew up in just the sort of community she sought to portray in ''Porgy and Bess''. Segregation was still a harsh fact of life during her childhood. She recalled, for instance, how people shopped through mail-order catalogues in order to purchase clothes offered in stores where they were not welcome. "The black community, as I remember it, was very closely knit," Clarke said in the ''

San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...

'': "Before the fabric of this society was torn by racism and lack of education, we all took care of each other. We all watched each other's children." In 1960, the still-teenaged Clarke landed a role in the original touring cast of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...

'', a musical play about rival big city gangs. Following ''West Side Story'', Clarke served as a principal dancer in two noted African-American dance troupes: the

and the

. She was particularly prominent in the

Alvin Ailey Alvin Ailey Jr. (January 5, 1931 – December 1, 1989) was an American dancer, director, choreographer, and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). He created AAADT and its affiliated Alvin Ailey American Dance Cente ...

company and sometimes danced in partnership with Ailey himself. Clarke told ''

Essence Essence ( la, essentia) is a polysemic term, used in philosophy and theology as a designation for the property or set of properties that make an entity or substance what it fundamentally is, and which it has by necessity, and without which it ...

'' magazine that her years as a professional dancer helped her to prepare for the next stages in her career: "The discipline I learned in dance carried over into acting and directing," she said.''Essence'', August 1995, p. 56.

Career

Stage and acting

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 ...

, Clarke, who was also raised in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, appeared in ''

'' (1960), ''

Hallelujah, Baby! ''Hallelujah, Baby!'' is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, and a book by Arthur Laurents. The show is "a chronicle of the African American struggle for equality during the irst half of the20th century." ...

'' (1967), ''

Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope ''Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope'' is a musical revue first staged in 1971 with music, lyrics and book by Micki Grant. It was originally produced by Edward Padula. Background and productions The all-singing, all-dancing show focuses on the Afric ...

'' (1972), and ''

Grind A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back (me ...

'' (1975), and choreographed ''

Jelly's Last Jam ''Jelly's Last Jam'' is a musical with a book by George C. Wolfe, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jelly Roll Morton and Luther Henderson. Based on the life and career of Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known as Jelly Roll Morton and general ...

'' (1992), for which she was nominated for a

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

and

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

, and ''

Caroline, or Change ''Caroline, or Change'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Tony Kushner. The score combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music. The show ran both Off-Broadway and on Broad ...

'' (2004). After leaving the Alvin Ailey group in the 1970s, Clarke moved into film and television acting. Her most notable feature film performance may be '' A Piece of the Action'' (1977). She also appeared in guest roles on episodes of numerous television drama and comedy series, including ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of List of The Jeffersons episodes, 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longe ...

'', ''

The Ropers ''The Ropers'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from March 13, 1979, to May 22, 1980. It is a spin-off of ''Three's Company'' and loosely based on the British sitcom ''George and Mildred'', which was itself a spin-off of ...

'', ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

'', ''

Three's Company ''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''. The story revolves around three single roomma ...

'', and ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

''. She also appeared in the NBC-TV miniseries ''

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

'' (1978), which was based upon the life and ministry of the slain civil rights leader

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

, and appeared in the television film ''

Seventeen Again ''Seventeen Again'' is an American fantasy–comedy film. It first aired on Showtime on November 12, 2000, and was released on DVD on April 9, 2002. The film was also included as a bonus feature on the '' Sister, Sister'' (which had ended a ...

'' (2000).

Choreography

After years as a dancer, Clarke was often called in to choreograph various stage and television shows. Besides, she joked in ''Essence'', "I had bills to pay." Clarke found ample opportunities to develop her choreographic skills, working in America and abroad. She worked for the New York City-based Opera Ebony, helping to produce ''Porgy and Bess'' in such diverse venues as Brazil and Finland. She earned a Tony Award nomination for choreography for her work in the 1992 Broadway hit ''

''. Clarke choreographed projects as diverse as

Dorothy Rudd Moore Dorothy Rudd Moore (June 4, 1940 – March 30, 2022) was an American composer and music educator. She was one of the co-founders of the Society of Black Composers. She is considered one of the leading women composers of color for her generation a ...

's ''Freedom'' and

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

's ''

Così fan tutte (''All Women Do It, or The School for Lovers''), K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte w ...

''. All of these efforts helped to bring Clarke to the attention of opera and musical theater executives. One of them was

David Gockley David Gockley (born July 13, 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American opera company administrator. He served as general director of Houston Grand Opera from 1972 to 2005 and San Francisco Opera from 2006 to 2016. He is a student of Margar ...

, general director of the

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

. Gockley had decided to create a whole new touring production of ''Porgy and Bess'', and wanted an African-American director for the project. Clarke was hired, telling the ''

Minneapolis Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...

'': "I've worked through the ranks, and I was ready for this." Interviewed about the project in the ''

San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

'', Clarke stated:

"As a director, I guess I bring in the female sensibilities. Since I'm also an actress, I've really tried to develop the characterizations so that the performers don't do a little singing here, and some acting there. And coming from a black perspective, I know how we think, how we feel, what we do. I understand the little things. That makes a difference."

''Porgy and Bess'' (1995) Houston/Dallas Opera production

Clarke brought some new touches to the ''Porgy and Bess'' story, which was written by white composer

for an all-black cast. The story, set in a fictitious

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

neighborhood called Catfish Row, revolves around a crippled beggar named Porgy, a sensuous woman named Bess, and two troublemakers, Crown and Sporting Life. Though Gershwin's score has always been highly popular, especially the ballad " Summertime", the characters and setting have drawn criticism for portraying African Americans in stereotypical ways. For example, Porgy begs for money, Bess takes lovers, Sporting Life sells drugs, and Crown is a murderer. Although Clarke knew that she could not tamper with the essential plot and characterizations in the play, she still, nevertheless had several ideas about how to present the residents of Catfish Row in a more favorable light. She conceived her production of ''Porgy and Bess'' as a celebration of the lives of Charleston-based

Gullah The Gullah () are an African Americans, African American ethnic group who predominantly live in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina, within the coastal plain ...

s, an African-American community believed to be

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

n in origin. Critic Kenneth Herman noted in the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', "Clarke ... fleshed out the opera's Gullah context, using that culture's integrity to compensate for some of the lead characters' moral defects. She ... also made certain the cast knows how to pronounce Gullah dialect, which the opera's libretto employs."Kenneth Herman
"Performing Arts: 'Porgy' Gets a Cultural Makeover: Director Hope Clarke has added a historic African American flavor to Gershwin's classic characters on Catfish Row"
''Los Angeles Times'', March 5, 1995, p. 46. Clarke was well aware that she was making history both by serving as director of a large-scale production and by her artistic decisions about the show. She told the ''Los Angeles Times'': "I want African Americans who come to see the opera to be proud that an African American is directing ... and to recognize the people on stage. I wanted to draw a community which we could find today: It could be any poor community, but one with pride." She expanded upon this philosophy in ''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also support ...

'': "In my production, everybody works. Everybody has some type of job. Just because you are poor doesn't mean you have to be slovenly or ignorant." Clarke's staging of ''Porgy and Bess'' toured several major American cities, including

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

, and

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. It also played engagements in Japan and at Italy's famed

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

opera house in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

. Clarke received a Tony Award for her work on ''Porgy and Bess''. Clarke kept a full schedule in New York City and elsewhere, choreographing various plays and musicals. It is felt that, through her successes, she was able to pave the way for other talented artists. In her 1995 interview in ''Essence'', Clarke stated: "Blacks and women have been locked out of directing major productions for too long. It's time for us not only to tell our stories but to direct them."

Film and TV filmography

* ''Change of Mind'' (1969) .... Nancy * ''Going Home'' (1971) .... Mother at prison * ''

Book of Numbers The book of Numbers (from Greek Ἀριθμοί, ''Arithmoi''; he, בְּמִדְבַּר, ''Bəmīḏbar'', "In the desert f) is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and com ...

'' (1973) .... Pigmeat Goins * '' A Piece of the Action'' (1977) .... Sarah Thomas * ''

'' .... Sherry Barnes (1 episode, 1977) * ''

'' (1978) TV mini-series .... Mary (unknown episodes) * ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

'' .... Brenda Gordon (1 episode, 1978) * ''

What's Happening!! ''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, until April 28, 1979, premiering as a summer series. Due to other shows being cancelled across the network, and good ratings and reviews from ...

'' .... Elizabeth Duncan /Mrs.Watson ... (2 episodes, 1977–1978) * ''Jennifer: A Woman's Story'' (1979) (TV) .... Annie (secretary) * ''

'' .... Dr. Young (1 episode, 1979) * ''

Hart to Hart ''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...

''.... Teacher (1 episode, 1979) * ''

'' .... Second Nurse (1 episode, 1979) * '' The White Shadow'' .... Aunt Edna Heyward (1 episode, 1979) * ''Scout's Honor'' (1980) (TV) * ''Body and Soul'' (1981) Choreographer * ''Maggie'' (TV).... Receptionist (1 episode, 1981) * ''Lois Gibbs and the Love Canal'' (1982) (TV) .... Chris * ''

'' .... Mrs. Reese (1 episode, 1982) * ''

The New Odd Couple ''The New Odd Couple'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from 1982 to 1983, and was an updated version of the 1970s television series '' The Odd Couple''. ''The New Odd Couple'' was the second attempt to remake a series ...

'' .... Beth St. Clair (1 episode, 1983) * ''

Beat Street ''Beat Street'' is a 1984 American drama dance film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Set in the South Bronx, the film follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to var ...

'' (1984) .... Dancing Instructor * ''Into the Night'' (1985/I) .... Airport Cop * ''

Amen Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jews, Jewish, Christia ...

'' .... Carol Wilson (1 episode, 1987) * ''

Angel Heart ''Angel Heart'' is a 1987 American neo-noir psychological horror film, an adaptation of William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel ''Falling Angel''. The film was written and directed by Alan Parker, and stars Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, a ...

'' (1987) .... Voodoo Dancer * ''A Father's Homecoming'' (1988) (TV) .... Doctor * ''Basquiat'' (1996) .... Matilde * ''

New York Undercover ''New York Undercover'' is an American Police procedural, police drama that aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox television network from September 8, 1994, to February 11, 1999. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and ...

'' (TV)... Marilyn Farris (1 episode, 1996) * ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'' (TV).. Mrs. Marbury/Appellate Judge #2/Judge Emma Reynolds ... (3 episodes, 1996–2002) * ''

'' (2000) .... Grandma Catherine "Cat" Donovan * ''Driving Fish'' (2002) .... Betty * "Sex and the City (2002)...Lee * ''Men Without'' (2004) .... Ms. Jackson * ''ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway'' (2007) .... Herself

Stage credits

* ''West Side Story'' evival, musical, drama**Performer / April 27, 1960 – December 10, 1960 * ''Kwamina'' (original, musical) **Performer, Dancer / October 23, 1961 – November 18, 1961 * ''Hallelujah, Baby!'' (original, musical) **Performer / April 26, 1967 – January 13, 1968 * ''Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope'' (original, musical, revue, all-Black cast) **Performer / April 19, 1972 – October 27, 1974 * ''Grind'' (original, musical) **Performer

uby UBY is a large-scale lexical-semantic resource for natural language processing (NLP) developed at the Ubiquitous Knowledge Processing Lab (UKP) in the department of Computer Science of the Technische Universität Darmstadt . UBY is based on th ...

/ April 16, 1985 – June 22, 1985 * ''Jelly's Last Jam'' (original, musical) **Choreographer / April 26, 1992 – September 5, 1993 **nominated for a

and

* ''Porgy And Bess'' (revival, musical, drama) **Director and Choreographer / 1995 * The Tempest (revival, play, comedy) **Choreographer / November 1, 1995 – December 31, 1995 * ''Caroline, or Change'' (original, musical, drama) **Choreographer / May 2, 2004 – August 29, 2004 * ''ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway'' (2007) .... Herself * ''A Free Man of Color'' **Choreographer / (November 18, 2010 – January 9, 2011) * ''Porgy & Bess'' **Director / (March 29, 2012 – April 1, 2012)" Porgy And Bess in the Gilliam Concert Hall"
Murphy Fine Arts Center, 2012.

Awards and recognition

* 1993 - Tony Award (nominated) – for choreography in ''Jelly's Last Jam'' * 1995 - Tony Award (won) – for directing ''Porgy and Bess''.

References

"It's Summertime, and the Staging Ain't Easy ... : Opera: Hope Clarke is unhappy that her work on 'Porgy and Bess' is being modified before its area visit. But the Houston Opera's general director counters that 'it's not a new staging'"
''Los Angeles Times'', June 1, 1995, p. F1. * ''Star Tribune'' (Minneapolis, MN), April 23, 1995, p. F1; April 28, 1995, p. E4.

External links

*
"Hope Clarke Theatre Credits"
BroadwayWorld.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Hope African-American female dancers American female dancers African-American dancers 20th-century African-American women singers American choreographers 1941 births Living people Actresses from Washington, D.C. African-American actresses 20th-century American actresses American television actresses Dancers from Washington, D.C. Singers from Washington, D.C. 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women