Charles Randolph Wright

Charles Randolph-Wright has built a dynamic and diversified career in directing, writing, and producing for theatre, television, and film.

 

For theatre, Charles directed the smash hit Motown The Musical (Broadway, the National tour, and London), the world premiere of the Broadway bound musical Born For This, which he co-wrote with gospel icon Bebe Winans, the Pulitzer prize winning play Ruined and the record breaking musical Sophisticated Ladies (starring Maurice Hines), at Arena Stage, the 75th anniversary tour of the opera Porgy and Bess, Brian Stokes Mitchell in his solo show Love/Life at Lincoln Center, Daniel Beaty’s Through the Night at the Union Square Theatre and the Geffen Theatre, the world premiere of Akeelah and the Bee for the 50th anniversary season of the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the hit revival of Guys and Dolls (also starring Maurice Hines) which was selected by the Loesser estate to become a national tour celebrating the musical’s 50th anniversary, They’re Playing Our Song (in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brasil, Blood Knot at ACT in San Francisco (featuring music by Tracy Chapman), and Cabaret Verboten at the Mark Taper Forum (with Bebe Neuwirth and Roger Rees).

 

Charles also directed the world premieres of Tough Titty by Oni Faida Lampley at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and Senor Discretion Himself (the last musical written by Frank Loesser, based on a story by Budd Schulberg, and co-written with Culture Clash). He directed and co-wrote Me and Mrs. Jones (a musical which starred Lou Rawls, and featured the classic R&B music of the Sound of Philadelphia) at the Prince Music Theatre, The Diva Dismissed (starring Jenifer Lewis) at the NYSF Public Theater and the Hudson Theatre (LA), and Homework (starring Kim Coles) in NYC, Crossroads (NJ), and LA.

 

Charles wrote the play Blue, starring Phylicia Rashad, which broke box office records at Arena Stage (where Charles is an inaugural resident playwright). Blue has had many sold out productions throughout the United States, including the Roundabout Theatre and the Pasadena Playhouse (which starred Ms. Rashad, Diahann Carroll, and Clifton Davis). Charles also wrote Cuttin’ Up (based upon the best selling book by Craig Marberry), The Night is a Child (starring JoBeth Williams), Love in Afghanistan, and co-wrote Just Between Friends starring Bea Arthur, which toured internationally, including a Tony nominated run on Broadway.

 

Charles directed the award-winning film Preaching to the Choir, and has written screenplays for HBO, Showtime, Disney and Fox. Television directing credits include the series Katy Keene, Greenleaf, Step Up Highwater, Lincoln Heights, and South of Nowhere. Charles directed and co-produced Bebe Winans’ special America America on BET, directed Patina Miller in her concert on PBS’ Live From Lincoln Center, co-produced An Evening with Berry Gordy on PBS, directed the award winning Freestyle football commercial for Nike, and produced and wrote the Showtime series “Linc’s.” Charles is an Executive Producer of Maurice Hines:Bring Them Back, a documentary which recently won the Grand Jury Prize at the NY Doc Festival.

 

A native of York, South Carolina, Charles is an honor graduate of Duke University where he was an A.B. Duke Scholar and recently received the Distinguished Alumni Award. He was honored with the Paul Robeson Award from Actors’ Equity, co-founded “Create Carolina” - an arts festival in the Carolinas, and is a founding member of the Wright Family Foundation of South Carolina.  www.Randolph-Wright.com.