Glenda Dickerson

Glenda Dickerson

By Dale Ricardo Shields

Black Kudos

 

Glenda Dickerson

Influential American theater director, folklorist, writer, and educator.

The second African American woman to direct on Broadway with the 1980 musical Reggae. 

Professional Career & Contributions
Dickerson’s work focused on “womanist” adaptations of folklore and myth, particularly through ritualistic performance and reinterpreting classic works from a Black feminist perspective. Her notable productions include The Tale of Madame Zora and her “Kitchen Prayers” series. She held academic positions at various institutions, including the University of Michigan, Spelman College, Howard University, and Rutgers University. In 2008, she published African American Theater: A Cultural Companion. 
Awards & Recognition
Dickerson received the inaugural Shirley Verrett Award in 2011, a Peabody Award in 1972 for For My People, and an AUDELCO Special Award in 1977 for Magic and Lions. 
Glenda Dickerson’s Legacy
  • Artistic Style: Dickerson was known for incorporating ritual, dance, and folklore into her work, often focusing on human struggles and “overcoming obstacles” from a Black womanist perspective.
  • Academic Impact: After her time in commercial theatre, she became a prominent educator and folklorist, eventually serving as a professor at the University of Michigan.
  • Awards: She was posthumously honored (jointly) with the Paul Robeson Award in 2021 by the Actors’ Equity Association. 
Legacy and Death
Glenda Dickerson passed away on January 12, 2012, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She is remembered for her significant impact on Black theater and for mentoring artists. 

 

Informa Group Company – Routledge

 She directed professionally at the Biltmore Theatre (Broadway), Circle in the Square (New York City), Lorraine Hansberry Theatre (San Francisco), Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, and the Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), among others.

Birth – 1945 (Houston, Texas) ~ Death (Ypsilanti, Michigan) – January 11, 2012*****

 

Dickerson_Glenda

Wikipedia

 Howard University (BFA)
Adelphi University (MA)

Professor Dickerson is the author of a new book, African American Theater: A Cultural Companion, which is available from Polity Press or Amazon. She also recently completed an educational 2-disc DVD, What’s Cookin’ in the Kitchen: a global portrait 2001-2004, which documents her Kitchen Prayers series. Until 2007, Kitchen Prayers Performance Dialogues on 9/11 and global loss were performed annually under the auspices of The Project for Transforming thru Performing: re/placing Black womanly images. The Project is supported by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation.

African American Theater: A Cultural Companion   Glenda Dickerson (2008) 
 (Author)

 

The Kitchen Prayers Peace Archive is housed in the University of Michigan Libraries (Labadie, Askwith, Music, and DeepBlue). The Peace Archive contains the Cookin DVD, together with DVDs of the performance dialogues, scripts, and resource material that document the life of The Project.

Before coming to Michigan, Dickerson was head of the Department of Drama and Dance at Atlanta’s Spelman College and has also taught at Rutgers University on both the New Brunswick and Newark campuses. At the University, she is Head of the African American Theatre Minor and served as Director of the Center for World Performance Studies until 2009.

 

BLACK KUDOS

 

Howard University

 

DAUGHTERS OF THE MOCK

“Daughters of the Mock” was originally produced by The Negro Ensemble Company, Inc. at the St. Marks Playhouse in 1978, featuring Frances Foster, Michelle Shay, Olivia Williams, Barbara Montgomery and L. Scott Caldwell, directed by Glenda Dickerson. 

L. Scott Caldwell and Michelle Shay – Bert Andrews [Photography]

The play is set in a family of women which is dominated by its grandmother, who has the powers of a Voodoo priestess. There are no male figures in the play, which is aching with loss and unfulfilled love. The fate of the family’s men is an enigma that is revealed shockingly and late in the play. Unlike most of Judi Ann Mason’s work, this play does not buffer its themes of loss and love with comedy; rather, it channels them, Greek tragedy-style, into the mystery of the “mock” – a curse which is passed down through the women of the family.

Season thirteen of the acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company.  Judi Ann Mason’s intriguing drama “Daughters of the Mock”, directed by Glenda Dickerson.
 (left to right) Barbara Montgomery, Frances Foster, and Olivia Williams.                                                                         The St.Marks Playhouse. – Bert Andrews [Photography]

PRODUCTIONS

Broadway and Major Productions
  • Reggae (1980): Directed this musical at the Biltmore Theatre, marking her historic Broadway debut.
  • The Tale of Madame Zora (1986): Directed this Off-Off-Broadway production.
  • Black Medea (1978): Directing credit.
  • Bones (1979): Directed this Off-Off-Broadway production.
  • The Glorious Monster in the Bell of the Horn (1979): Directed this Off-Off-Broadway production.
  • No (1980): Directing credit.
  • The Trojan Women (1980): Directed at Howard University.
  • Eel Catching in Setauket: Conceived and directed. 
Playwriting and Adaptation
  • Re/Membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrual Show: Co-authored with Breena Clarke.
  • Kitchen Prayers: A multi-year performance series (2001–2004) documenting planetary portraits.
  • Spunk: Conceived/adapted works from various sources, including the writings of Zora Neale Hurston. 
Professional Engagements
In addition to her primary credits, she directed professionally at several prestigious institutions: 

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iforcolor

ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Ricardo Shields is highly accomplished African American actor, director, producer, and educator with a distinguished career in theatre and academia.

Here's a summary of his background and achievements:

Early Life and Family:
Born on November 4, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio.
His family has a strong musical background; his grandfather and father were founding members of the Shields Brothers Gospel Quartet of Ohio, and his mother was part of the Turner Gospel Singers.
He is a cousin of boxing promoter Don King.
Education:
Graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 1970.
Holds both a BFA (1975) and MFA (1995) from Ohio University.

Career and Contributions
Theatre Professional:
Actor: Has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and in regional productions. His television credits include The Cosby Show, Another World, Guiding Light, Saturday Night Live, and the ITV series Special Needs. He has also appeared in commercials and films.
Director and Stage Manager: Has extensive professional credits in these roles, including projects at Lincoln Center, The Henry Street Settlement House (New Federal Theatre), The Negro Ensemble Company, and The Joseph Papp Public Theatre.
Assistant Director: Served as assistant to Lloyd Richards and assistant director for the New Federal Theatre premiere of Ossie Davis's play A Last Dance With Sybil starring Ruby Dee and Earl Hyman.

Educator:
Professor: He is a Professor of Acting, Directing, Black Theatre, Black Studies, and Stage Management. He has taught at various institutions, including Ohio University, The College of Wooster, Denison University, Macalester College, Susquehanna University (as artist-in-residence), and SUNY Potsdam.
Workshops and Programs: Conducted workshops for Joseph Papp's Playwriting in the Schools Program (PITS) at The Public Theatre for six seasons and represented the United States at the ASSITEJ Theatre Festival in London, England, in 1988.
Artistic Activist and Historian:

Iforcolor.org: Creator and archivist for the Black History website Iforcolor.org, dedicated to preserving and sharing information about African Americans and artists of color. He also maintains the "Black Theatre/African American Voices" website on Facebook.
Project1VOICE Liaison: Serves as the Project1VOICE Liaison for the state of Ohio, directing "One Play One Day" events in Cleveland since 2011.

Awards and Recognition:
The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award: Recipient in 2017.
Paul Robeson Award: Recipient in 2021 (jointly presented by the Actors' Equity Association and Actors' Equity Foundation).
AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award: Received in 2017.
Tony Award Nominee: Nominated for the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award" in 2015 and 2017.
Ebony Bobcat Network (EBN) Legend Award: Received from Ohio University in 2022.
ENCORE AWARD / The Actors Fund: Received in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Outstanding Professor Awards: Has received two of these and three "Educational Program of the Year" awards as a university professor.
The HistoryMakers archives: Interviewed and included in The HistoryMakers archives, permanently housed in the Library of Congress.
Dale Ricardo Shields is recognized for his profound impact on the lives of his students and his unwavering dedication to preserving and promoting Black theatre history and culture.