MS. BLAKK FOR PRESIDENT

Tarell Alvin McCraney is Artistic Director of Geffen Playhouse. His script In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue is the basis for the Oscar–winning film Moonlight directed by Barry Jenkins, for which McCraney and Jenkins won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. McCraney created the critically acclaimed Peabody Award–winning OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network drama “David Makes Man,” which was executive produced by Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey. McCraney also wrote the film High Flying Bird which premiered on Netflix and was directed by Steven Soderbergh. McCraney’s plays include We Are Gathered, Ms. Blakk For President, The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy, Head of Passes, Wig Out!, and Choir Boy, which was nominated for four Tony Awards. McCraney is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant,” the Joyce Award, the Whiting Award, the Steinberg Playwright Award, the Evening Standard Theatre Award, the New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award, the Paula Vogel Playwriting Award, the Windham Campbell Prize, and a USA Fellowship Award. He is a lecturer at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television; an associate artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company, UK; an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago; and a member of Teo Castellanos/D-Projects, Miami.

Tina Landau is a writer and director whose recent Broadway musicals include Floyd Collins (book, additional lyrics, and direction), Redwood starring Idina Menzel (book, co-lyrics, direction) The SpongeBob Musical (conceiver and director). Tina has also written and directed the musical Dream True (at the Vineyard), Space, Beauty and more.  Her additional directing work on Broadway includes Paula Vogel’s Mother Play, Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts, and the revival of Bells Are Ringing, while her Off-Broadway productions include Bill Irwin and David Shiner’s Old Hats, Chuck Mee’s Big Love and Iphigenia 2.0, Paula Vogel’s A Civil War Christmas, and Tarell McCraney’s Head of Passes, In the Red and Brown Water, and Wig Out! (also at the Vineyard.)  Since 1997, Tina has been an ensemble member at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, where her 20 productions include Ms. Blakk for President, McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays, The Wheel, The Time of Your Life, The Tempest, and more.  She’s been recognized by the Tonys, Drama Desks, Drama League, Outer Critics, Lucille Lortel, and Obie Awards, and is the recipient of a United States Artist Fellowship and a Princess Grace Statuette.  Tina served as an Artist-in-Residence at Little Island in NYC, and is the co-author with Anne Bogart of The Viewpoints Book.

Wayne Brady is a five-time Emmy Award winner and multiple Grammy nominee. He’s made his mark on stage and screen as an actor, producer, singer, dancer, songwriter, author, podcast host, and television personality. On Broadway, he’s appeared as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Wiz in The Wiz, Billy Flynn in Chicago, Lola in Kinky Boots and in Freestyle Love Supreme. Other stage roles include Aaron Burr in Hamilton in Chicago, Tom Collins in Rent in LA, Fred in Kiss Me, Kate in LA and Charlie in Merrily We Roll Along in LA. He recently launched Wayne Brady’s “What If?!” podcast and co-wrote an original short story included in The End Of The World As We Know It: New Tales Of Stephen King’s The Stand. Upcoming: La Cage Aux Folles at Encores!