Tracey Scott Wilson is an American playwright, television writer, television producer, and screenwriter. She graduated from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
with a BA in English and from
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...
with an MA in English Literature.
Early life
Born in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Liesl Tommy, with whom she would develop a long-standing and ongoing creative relationship.
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
, the
Williamstown Theatre Festival
The Williamstown Theatre Festival is a resident summer theater on the campus of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1954 by Williams College news director Ralph Renzi and drama program chairman David C. Bryant. I ...
and Soho Theater Writers' Center in London. Awards and residencies include two Van Lier fellowships from the New York Theatre Workshop, a residency at the Sun dance Institute Playwright's Retreat at Cross and the Sun dance Institute Theater Lab, the 2001 Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, the 2003 AT&T Onstage Award, a 2004 Whiting Award, the 2004 Kesselring Prize, the 2007 L. Arnold Weissmuller Award and the 2007 Time Warner Storytelling Fellowship. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. On February 29, 2014, the Joyce Foundation announced that Wilson was one of the recipients of its 2014 Joyce Awards. With her prize, Wilson worked intimately with a community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and wrote ''Prep'', which debuted at the Pillsbury House Theater during the theater's 2015 season.
Wilson's productions include ''Order My Steps'' for Cornerstone Theater Company's Black Faith/AIDS project in Los Angeles; ''Exhibit #9'', which was produced in New York City by New Perspectives Theatre Company and Theatre Outrageous; ''Leader of the People'', produced at New Georges; ''Buzzer'' at Pillsbury House Theater and the Public Theater in New York City; two 10-minute plays produced at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, a 10-minute play produced at Actors Theatre of Louisville, and The Good Negro at the Public Theater in New York City.
Wilson's first major Manhattan production was in 2003 with ''The Story'' at the Public Theater. ''The Good Negro'' was produced at The Public and then at the
Goodman Theater
Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the lan ...
in 2010. Wilson's ''Buzzer'' was produced as part of the Goodman's 2013-14 season and was added to the Public Theater's 2014-15 season in October 2014. ''The Story'' and ''The Good Negro'' have been published by Dramatists Play Service.
She has taught and guest lectured at Brown University,
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
,
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
and
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
.
Television and film career
In more recently years, Wilson has left the theater to expand her career into television. Her episode of NBC's '' Do No Harm'' aired on August 18, 2013, and she was later staffed on the FX drama series '' The Americans'', for which she was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award in 2015. Wilson also received an Emmy nomination in 2018 for ''The Americans''. Her work on the Americans also earned her a Peabody Award. She was recently a co-executive producer on 8 episodes of FX's '' Fosse/Verdon'', for which she was also nominated for an Emmy. In 2019, Wilson teamed up with playwright and television writer Bash Doran to write an episode of
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's '' Traitors''. However, Wilson chose to stay with her television home, and inked an overall deal with FX in 2018.
In 2019, Wilson joined other WGA members in firing her agents as part of the Guild's stand against the ATA after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on a new "Code of Conduct" that addressed the practice of packaging.
Wilson has penned the screenplay for '' Respect'', the Aretha Franklin biopic released in August 2021. Though the film generally received warm reviews, reviews for her screenplay were mixed.
Works
* ''Exhibit #9'', New Perspectives Theatre/Theatre Outrageous, New York (1999)
* ''Leader of the People'', New Georges, New York (1999)
* ''Order My Steps'', Cornerstone Theater, Los Angeles (2003)
* ''The Story'',
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
(2003) (Published as )
* ''Neon Mirage'', New York International Fringe Festival (2006)
* ''The Good Negro'',
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...
(2009) (Published as )
* ''Buzzer'',
The Public Theater
The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American Li ...