Dale Ricardo Shields

The Paul Robeson Award [ Actors Equity Association / Actors Equity Foundation

DALE RICARDO SHIELDS, PEARL CLEAGE, AND THE BLACK REPERTORY THEATRE OF KANSAS CITY
TO RECEIVE PAUL ROBESON AWARDS 

 

​The Paul Robeson Award, given annually since Robeson received the first Citation in 1974, honors individuals who leverage theatre to go beyond the stage to enact their commitment to the freedom of expression and conscience. 

The significance of the Paul Robeson Award in the context of Dale Ricardo Shields’ career and his contributions to Black theatre  

The Paul Robeson Award, presented to Dale Ricardo Shields in 2021 by the Actors’ Equity Association and Actors’ Equity Foundation, signifies his contributions to Black theater and aligns with the legacy of Paul Robeson.  

The award honors individuals who, like Robeson, use theatre to advocate for freedom of expression and social justice. The core idea of the Paul Robeson Award is to recognize artists who extend their work beyond the stage to impact society positively. A nominator noted that Shields’s dedication to the artist’s role in society drove him to share his extensive artistic knowledge with diverse audiences to support future theater professionals broadwayworld.com.

Shields’s work in preserving and promoting Black theatre history through his website Iforcolor.org and collaborations, like with Project1voice, echoes Robeson’s use of art to uplift the Black community. The award also highlights Shields’s role as a mentor, inspiring future artists to use their craft for social change and representation.

In essence, the Paul Robeson Award acknowledges Shields’s career as extending beyond performance to encompass his influence on the Black theatre community as an educator, advocate, and practitioner dedicated to social justice and preserving the cultural heritage of Black artists.

 

Actors’ Equity Foundation Awards 2023

 

Past Recipients: 1989-Present
Year Recipient
2023 The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City
2022 Pearl Cleage
2021 Dale Ricardo Shields
2019-20 Carmen Morgan and Futaba Shioda
2017 Jamal Joseph
2016 Mary-Mitchell Campbell
2015 Arthur French
2014 Baayork Lee
2013 Shauneille Perry
2012 William Greaves
2011 James Earl Jones
2010 Charles Randolph-Wright
2009 Micki Grant
2008 Sidney Poitier
2007 Mercedes Ellington
2006 Bill Cosby                                                                                                                                                                                                                               2005 Carl Harms
2004 Judith Jamison
2003 Woodie King, Jr.
2002 Gertrude Jeanette
2001 Brock Peters
2000 Rosa LeNoire
1999 Loften Mitchell
1998 Leonard Etienne de Paul
1997 Athol Fugard
1996 George C. Wolfe
1995 Gil Noble
1994 Lloyd Richards
1993 Katherine Dunham
1992 Art D’Lugoff
1991 Gordon Parks
1990 Maya Angelou
1989 Bill Ross & Dr. Margaret Burroughs
1988 Jacques D’Amboise
1987 Joe Papp
1986 Vinie Burrows
1985 Arthur Mitchell
1984 Lena Horne
1983 John Henry Faulk
1982 Ed Asner
1981 Studs Terkel
1980 Alice Childress
1979 Harry Bellafonte
1978 Sam Jaffe
1977 Pete Seeger
1976 Lillian Hellman
1975 Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee
1974 Paul Robeson

 

Dale Ricardo Shields and Bebe Neuwirth

Bebe Neuwirth hosts this presentation of awards to Darius de Haas, Francis Guinan, Mary K Klinger, Linda Lavin, Bonnie Milligan, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Alex Newell, Dale Ricardo Shields, and Michael Patrick Thornton.

“These honorees exemplify the values Robeson stood for,” said DeBorah Sharpe-Taylor, chair of Equity’s Paul Robeson Award Committee, in a statement. “They exemplify how the theatre and social justice are bound because the pursuit of justice and live theatre are foundational pillars in the creation of a worthwhile artistic experience.”​​​  

 

 

LINKS:
Actors Equity Association
https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/RobesonAnnouncement2023/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR2lm3dAHp2sliw3–V5daQZpRH3pU2i7JyLLg-0548DEUtHNjkkcvPCmzs

American Theatre Magazine
https://www.americantheatre.org/2023/04/21/dale-r-shields-pearl-cleage-black-rep-of-kansas-city-win-robeson-awards/ 

Broadway World                                                                                                         https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Pearl-Cleage-Dale-R-Shields-The-Black-Repertory-Theatre-of-Kansas-City-Receive-Paul-Robeson-Awards-20230421

Playbill
https://www.playbill.com/article/pearl-cleage-and-dale-r-shields-named-winners-of-paul-robeson-awards?fbclid=IwAR1DbprAYuBLarumKKKpcdNzf8Ct20WjNwldGCMrxpM11P_Ip3PrcqTdnnI 

Dramatis Guild                                                                                                                     https://www.dramatistsguild.com/thedramatist/pearl-cleage-dale-r-shields-and-black-repertory-theatre-kansas-city-receive-paul  

Ohio University – TODAY                                                                                                           https://www.ohio.edu/news/tag/1441

 

 

Dale R. Shields, Pearl Cleage, Black Rep of Kansas City Win Robeson Awards

Dale Ricardo Shields
Actors Equity Foundation
Paul Robeson Award 2023
New York City, NY

“Dear Artist – I honor your stories… – I treasure your history
“What can be said at all can be said clearly, and whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.”
Loudly… I thank the Paul Robeson Committee and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion office for your work and this award … and for graciously inviting me here.
*
Thank you to my friends who nominated me.
I give honor to the great Paul Robeson.
Athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist. A spokesman for Civil Rights.
Paul Robeson was a 20th-century Renaissance man.
Yet his radical political beliefs all but erased him from popular history.
To this day, Paul Robeson’s many accomplishments remain obscured, – by the propaganda of those who tirelessly dogged him throughout his life.
His role in the history of civil rights … as a spokesperson for the oppressed of other nations remains relatively unknown. 
Paul Robeson got involved in civil rights campaigns in many countries, while dealing with McCarthyism in his own backyard, something which would eventually destroy his career.
These are still very intense times culturally and racially.
Paul Robeson said:
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth.
We are civilization’s radical voice.”
“Every artist, every scientist, must decide now where he stands.
He has no alternative.
There is no standing above the conflict on Olympian heights.
There are no impartial observers.
Through the destruction, in certain countries, of the greatest of man’s literary heritage,
Through the ProPagation of false ideas of racial and national superiority,
the artist, the scientist, and the writer are challenged.”
“The struggle invades the formerly cloistered halls of our universities and other seats of learning.
The battlefront is everywhere. – There is no sheltered rear.”
I have learned so much about you, us… and thereby… about myself.
Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors by passing our history on… Sharing the stories…
The Art and truth of our experiences… There is no greater validation!
Redefining Cultural Representation in the Arts.
Empowering Children through Historical Factual Racial Knowledge.
Fostering Inter-generational Conversations with Emotional Intelligence.
Hopefully, that is Robeson’s thing to do. Write on! 
I am Dale Ricardo Shields… with the growing moniker of Brother Dale…
I am happy, humbled, and thrilled to be in your company
Tip of the Hat to Mr. Robeson.
Thank you so much. – FORWARD!” 
~*~
Past Recipients: 1989-Present
Year Recipient
2023 The Black Repertory Theatre of Kansas City
2022 Pearl Cleage
2021 Dale Ricardo Shields
2019-20 Carmen Morgan and Futaba Shioda
2017 Jamal Joseph
2016 Mary-Mitchell Campbell
2015 Arthur French
2014 Baayork Lee
2013 Shauneille Perry
2012 William Greaves
2011 James Earl Jones
2010 Charles Randolph-Wright
2009 Micki Grant
2008 Sidney Poitier
2007 Mercedes Ellington
2006 Bill Cosby- Rescinded
2005 Carl Harms
2004 Judith Jamison
2003 Woodie King, Jr.
2002 Gertrude Jeanette
2001 Brock Peters
2000 Rosa LeNoire
1999 Loften Mitchell
1998 Leonard Etienne de Paul
1997 Athol Fugard
1996 George C. Wolfe
1995 Gil Noble
1994 Lloyd Richards
1993 Katherine Dunham
1992 Art D’Lugoff
1991 Gordon Parks
1990 Maya Angelou
1989 Bill Ross & Dr. Margaret Burroughs
1988 Jacques D’Amboise
1987 Joe Papp
1986 Vinie Burrows
1985 Arthur Mitchell
1984 Lena Horne
1983 John Henry Faulk
1982 Ed Asner
1981 Studs Terkel
1980 Alice Childress
1979 Harry Bellafonte
1978 Sam Jaffe
1977 Pete Seeger
1976 Lillian Hellman
1975 Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee
1974 Paul Robeson

 

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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.