Vinie Burrows ( Harrison; born November 15, 1924) is an American stage actress 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 ...

Life and career

Burrows was born on November 15, 1924. She graduated from Harlem High School at the age of 15, having already begun her career as a child actress on radio and on stage when she appeared the Broadway play ''The Wisteria Trees''. She later chose to create her own plays and one-woman shows because she felt that the roles available for black women were those of a “Mammie” or “lady of the evening.” Many of her productions were seen on Broadway and in over 6,000 theaters and other venues across four continents. She appeared in a show titled ''Sister! Sister!'' at the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

in November 1991. She appeared in a reprise of the show titled ''Sister! Sister!'' at

Brandeis University , mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = NECHE , president = Ronald D. Liebowitz , pro ...

's Women's Studies Research Center in March 2001. In 2003, she played the role of Barbara Scarlatti in ''Bel Canto'' on stage in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

. At the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

in March 2007 she appeared in a show titled ''Black on the Great White Way: The Story of Rose McClendon''. She was to be a panelist in the 2000–2001

African Diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were e ...

lecture series at the Center for Ideas and Society in

Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...

. The Black Theater Guild at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

hosted Burrows for lunch in February 2003.' In 2020 Burrows was given an Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Activism

Burows has been active at the

United Nations Economic and Social Council The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC; french: links=no, Conseil économique et social des Nations unies, ) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields ...

on the issues of the status of women and Southern Africa. In 1980, she became an associate of the

Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Mo Basic infor ...

(WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication between women and connect the public with forms of women-based media.

Awards

Burrows won the

Paul Robeson Award An award bestowed by the Paul Robeson Citation Award Committee of the Actors' Equity Association. Recipients * 1974: Paul Robeson * 1975: Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee * 1976: Lillian Hellman * 1977: Pete Seeger * 1978: Sam Jaffe * 1979: Harry Belafon ...

in 1986. In 2014, Burrows received an award from the International Communications Association and AUDELCO for her Outstanding Contribution to the Arts and the Community. In 2018, Burrows was named the honoree at

Theater for the New City Theater for the New City, founded in 1971 and known familiarly as "TNC", is one of New York City's leading off-off-Broadway theaters, known for radical political plays and community commitment. Productions at TNC have won 43 Obie Awards and the P ...

's 15th annual ''Love N' Courage'' gala, where she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award."Actress and Activist Vinie Burrows To Be Honored at Annual NYC Gala"
''Broadway World'', January 10, 2018. In 2020 Burrows was given an Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement.

References

External links

VINIE BURROWS Website

@ Hostos, CUNY. {{DEFAULTSORT:Burrows, Vinie 1924 births Living people 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women African-American actresses American stage actresses