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Ethel Ayler
Ethyl Spraggins Ayler (May 1, 1930 – November 18, 2018) was an American character actress with a career spanning over five decades. Biography Ayler was born in Whistler, Alabama and graduated from Fisk University. In 1957, she made her off-Broadway debut in the Langston Hughes musical, ''Simply Heavenly''. Later that year, she debuted on Broadway in the multiple Tony Award-nominated musical, ''Jamaica'' 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 actors included three future Academy Award nominees: James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson and Louis Gossett Jr. Throughout her career, Ayler appeared frequently with the Negro Ensemble Company. This included notable performances in ''The First Breeze of Summer'', '' Eden'' and '' Nevis Moun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whistler, Alabama
Whistler was an unincorporated community in Mobile County, until the 1950s when it was annexed into neighboring Prichard. The founding of Whistler, in the 1850s, coincided with construction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The M & O, an early land grant railroad, eventually extended from Mobile to the Ohio River, and beyond to St. Louis, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. The town, seven miles north-northwest of Mobile, developed around the M & O shops. Whistler was named for famous railroad construction engineer and West Point Military graduate George Washington Whistler, who was father of James McNeill Whistler. The younger Whistler was painter of "Arrangement in Grey and Black," better known as "Whistler's Mother." Currently the US Postal Service ZIP code 36612 is accepted as Whistler. Eight Mile Creek flows along much of the northern side of Whistler, before joining Chickasabogue, a tributary of the Mobile River. During Whistler's heyday, both creeks provided popular swim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslaved Africans who are from the United States. While some Black immigrants or their children may also come to identify as African-American, the majority of first generation immigrants do not, preferring to identify with their nation of origin. African Americans constitute the second largest racial group in the U.S. after White Americans, as well as the third largest ethnic group after Hispanic and Latino Americans. Most African Americans are descendants of enslaved people within the boundaries of the present United States. On average, African Americans are of West/Central African with some European descent; some also have Native American and other ancestry. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, African immigrants generally do not se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fences (play)
''Fences'' is a 1985 play by American playwright August Wilson. Set in the 1950s, it is the sixth in Wilson's ten-part " Pittsburgh Cycle". Like all of the "Pittsburgh" plays, ''Fences'' explores the evolving African-American experience and examines race relations, among other themes. The play won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1987 Tony Award for Best Play. ''Fences'' was first developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 1983 National Playwrights Conference and premiered at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1985. Plot The focus of Wilson's attention in ''Fences'' is Troy, a 53-year-old working-class head of household who struggles with providing for his family. The play takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; although never officially named, it makes mention of several key locations in Pittsburgh. In his younger days, Troy was an excellent player in Negro league baseball and continued practicing baseball while serving time in prison for a murder he had committed dur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vivian Beaumont Theater
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a Broadway theater in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Operated by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), the Beaumont is the only Broadway theater outside the Theater District near Times Square. Named after heiress and actress Vivian Beaumont Allen, the theater was one of the last structures designed by modernist architect Eero Saarinen. The theater shares a building with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and contains two off-Broadway venues, the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater and the Claire Tow Theater. The Beaumont occupies the southern and western sides of its building's first and second floors, while the library wraps above and on top of it. The main facade faces Lincoln Center's plaza and is made of glass and steel, with a travertine attic above. The main auditorium has approximately 1,080 seats across two levels, arranged in a steeply sloped semi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 independent film.It was first presented in 1985 with Anjelica Huston being the first recipient of the award for her role as Gretta Conroy in '' The Dead''. It was last presented in 2022 with Ruth Negga being the final recipient of the award for her role in '' Passing''. In 2022, it was announced that the four acting categories would be retired and replaced with two gender neutral categories, with both Best Supporting Male and Best Supporting Female merging into the Best Supporting Performance category. Since its inception, the award has been given to 33 actresses. With 3 nominations, Allison Janney is the most nominated female in this category (finally winning one for her performance in ''I, Tonya''). Dianne Wiest, Penélope Cruz, Mo'Nique, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 Smollett, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Meagan Good and Diahann Carroll. The film premiered at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in theaters on November 7, 1997. The film grossed $14 million domestically on a budget of $4 million, making it the most commercially successful independent film of 1997. In 2018, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film was made a part of The Criterion Collection on October 25, 2022. Plot Eve Batiste, a 10-year-old girl, lives in a prosperous Creole-American community in Louisiana with her younger brother Poe and her older sister Cise ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, historically, or aesthetically significant". It had a remastered home media release from the Criterion Collection on February 26, 2019. Plot Gideon (Paul Butler) and his wife, Suzie ( Mary Alice), live in South Central Los Angeles, though they retain some of their rural southern ways, including raising chickens in the backyard. Harry (Danny Glover), a longstanding friend from the South whom they have not seen for many years, makes a surprise visit. The couple are delighted to see him and insist that he stay with them for as long as he wishes. Harry has a charming, down-home manner, but his enigmatic and somewhat amoral presence brings to a crisis trouble simmering in the family—especially as regards the younger son, Samuel or "Babe Bro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 African-American family living in Brooklyn, New York. ''The Cosby Show'' spent five consecutive seasons as the number-one rated show on television. ''The Cosby Show'' and '' All in the Family'' are the only sitcoms in the history of the Nielsen ratings to be the number-one show for five seasons. It spent all eight of its seasons in the top 20. According to ''TV Guide'', the show "was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s, and almost single-handedly revived the sitcom genre and NBC's ratings fortunes." ''TV Guide'' also ranked it 28th on their list of 50 Greatest Shows. In addition, Cliff Huxtable was named as the "Greatest Television Dad". In May 1992, ''Entertainment Weekly'' stated that ''The Cosby Show'' helped to make possible a larger variety of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nevis Mountain Dew
''Nevis Mountain Dew'' is a 1978 play by American playwright steve carter . Set in the 1950s, it is the second of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. ''Nevis Mountain Dew'' explores the subject of euthanasia involving the patriarch of an affluent family who is confined to an iron lung. Characters ; Jared Philibert: The 50-year-old patriarch of an affluent Caribbean-American family. Due to being afflicted with paralysis, he is confined to an iron lung. ; Everalda Philibert Griffin: Jared's sister and the family member primarily responsible for his care. ; Zepora Philibert: A younger sister of Jared. ; Billie Philbert: The African American wife of Jared. ; Ayton Morris: A family friend. ; Boise McCanles: A co-worker of Billie's. ; Lud Gaithers: Another co-worker of Billie's and Boise's friend. Plot synopsis Set in the Queens borough of New York City in 1954, a Caribbean-American family gathers to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jared Philibert, who is confined to an iron lung due to paral ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eden (Steve Carter Play)
''Eden'' is a 1976 play by American playwright Steve Carter. Set in the 1920s, it is the first of Carter's Caribbean trilogy. ''Eden'' explores intra-racial conflicts between recent immigrants from the Caribbean and the African-American population. The West Coast premiere of this critically acclaimed play received five Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. Characters ; Joseph Barton: The main character of the play. A recent Caribbean immigrant to the United States and follower of Marcus Garvey. ; Annetta Barton: Joseph's daughter. She falls in love with Eustace Baylor, an African-American from the South, which causes the central conflict within the story. ; Eustace Baylor: An African American from the rural South than falls in love with Annette. ; Solomon Barton: One of Joseph's sons. ; Nimrod Barton: One of Joseph's sons. Plot synopsis Set in the San Juan Hill section of New York City in 1927, Joseph Barton, a recent Caribbean immigrant and follower of Marcus Garvey discove ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. The company's focus on original works with themes based in the black experience with an international perspective created a canon of theatrical works and an audience for writers who came later, such as August Wilson, Suzan-Lori Parks, and others. Beginnings The Negro Ensemble Company was created in 1964 when Hooks created a tuition-free acting workshop for urban youth which he named the Group Theatre Workshop (GTW), in tribute to Harold Clurman's The Group Theatre. The group became a refuge for young minority actors, with a focus on black theatre. He and his associate Barbara Ann Teer produced in a one-night showcase for friends and family of the actors. The plays chosen were Gwendolyn Brooks's '' We Real Cool'' and Douglas Turner ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 auditioned for the Broadway play ''Take a Giant Step.'' Gossett would go on acting on stage. One of these plays was ''A Raisin in the Sun'' in 1959, and in 1961 he made his debut on screen in its film adaptation. From thereon, Gossett added to his resume many roles in films and television, as well as releasing music. In 1977, Gossett gained wide recognition for his role of Fiddler in the popular miniseries ''Roots''. For which he won "Outstanding lead actor for a single appearance in a drama or comedy series" at the Emmy Awards. Gossett continued acting in high profile films and television. In 1982, for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in ''An Officer and a Gentleman'', he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and beca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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