Laurence Holder is an American playwright, poet, and director who focuses on the African-American experience. His plays often center historical African-American figures including

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...

Elijah Muhammad Elijah Muhammad (born Elijah Robert Poole; October 7, 1897 – February 25, 1975) was an African American religious leader, black separatist, and self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah, who led the Nation of Islam (NOI) from 1934 until his de ...

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk (, October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including " 'Round Midnight", "B ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was based ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

, and

Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on Hoodoo (spirituality), hoodoo. The most ...

. He is a 1998–1999 Otto Rene Castillo award recipient for political theatre. Holder's work has been performed at the

Henry Street Settlement The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founde ...

New Federal Theatre, the

Ford Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

, the

American Place Theatre The American Place Theatre was founded in 1963 by Wynn Handman, Sidney Lanier, and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church, 423 West 46th Street in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and was incorporated as a not-for-profit theatre in that year. Tennesse ...

, and more. His work has been reviewed by ''The New York Times'' and the ''Washington Post'' among others. In addition to being a playwright, Holder teaches English at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Education

Holder attended the City College of New York from which he received a bachelor's degree in geology and creative writing.

Plays

''When the Chickens Come Home to Roost''

Performed at the

New Federal Theatre The New Federal Theatre is a theatre company named after the African-American branch of the Federal Theatre Project, which was created in the United States during the Great Depression to provide resources for theatre and other artistic programs. ...

and featured

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

as Malcolm X and Kirk Kirksey as Elijah Muhammad.

''Zora Neale Hurston''

Off-Broadway play about the early 20th century writer starring Elizabeth Van Dyke and Tim Johnson and directed by Wynn Handiman. Shown at the

on West 46th Street in Manhattan.

''Their Eyes Were Watching God''

Off-Broadway play adapted from Zora Neale Hurston's novel ''

Their Eyes Were Watching God ''Their Eyes Were Watching God'' is a 1937 novel by American writer Zora Neale Hurston. It is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance, and Hurston's best known work. The novel explores main character Janie Crawford's "ripening from a v ...

''; directed by Marishka S. Phillips and starring Lauren Marissa Smith. Held at the

WOW Café WOW Café Theater is a feminist theater space and collective in East Village in New York City. In the mid-1980s, WOW Cafe Theater was central to the avant garde theatre and performance art scene in the East Village, New York City. Among the artis ...

Theatre in New York.

''Monk''

Off-Broadway one-man show starring Rome Neal as Thelonious Monk performed at the

Nuyorican Poets Café The Nuyorican (Puerto Rican New Yorkers) Poets Cafe is a nonprofit organization in Alphabet City, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It is a bastion of the Nuyorican art movement in New York City, and has become a forum for poetry, music, hip ...

. Directed by Holder and Neal. Assistant director, Jennifer Cummings. Lighting by Neal. Executive producer, Miguel Algarín. Production stage manager and sound by Triple-5 (William J. Vila). Jechibea Adu-Peasah on set design. This play has been reviewed by The New York Amsterdam News.

''MonknBud''

A play depicting the relationship between the American jazz musicians Thelonious Monk and

Bud Powell Earl Rudolph "Bud" Powell (September 27, 1924 – July 31, 1966) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Along with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke and Dizzy Gillespie, Powell was a leading figure in the development of modern ...

Awards

* 1998–1999 Otto Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre * Garland Anderson Award from the National Black Arts Festival * New York Foundation Grant *

AUDELCO AUDELCO, the Audience Development Committee, Inc., was established in 1973 by Vivian Robinson to honor excellence in African American theatre in New York City. AUDELCO presents the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Awards (also known as Viv awar ...

Best Writer Award for "M: The Mandela Saga" *

Award for drama Off and Off Off Broadway presented at CCNY's Aaron Davis Hall (1981) for "When the Chickens Come Home to Roost"

References

External links

* https://theaterforthenewcity.net/?page_id=8 * https://www.wowcafe.org/event/their-eyes-were-watching-god-3/ * https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/holder-laurence-1939 {{DEFAULTSORT:Holder, Laurence African-American dramatists and playwrights City College of New York alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century African-American people