Reyno

By iforcolor in Actor
August 26, 2022

MOTHER COURAGE

In 1980 Wilford Leach directed a new adaptation by Ntozake Shange at The Public Theater. This version was set in the American South during Reconstruction. Gloria Foster played in the Mother Courage cast that also included Reyno, Morgan Freeman, Ruthanna Graves, Samuel L. Jackson, Carol-Jean Lewis, Jack Landron, Hattie Winston, Reyno, Raynor Scheine, Trazana Beverley, Peter Oliver-Norman, Anna Deavere Smith, and Ellis E. Williams.

Ntozake Shange’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children premiered at The Public Theater in May 1980.

Shange won an Obie Award in 1981 for this ambitious work, which completely reimagined Brecht’s classic 17th-century European setting.

Shange radically transposed the timeline.

Setting: Moved to the American Southwest (Texas and Oklahoma Territories) during the post-Civil War Reconstruction era.

Context: Framed around the period when Black “Buffalo Soldiers” and white troops were recruited for skirmishes against Native Americans and former slaves.

Language: Rewritten by Shange into Black English, injecting the script with unique American rhythms, idioms, and colloquialisms.

Joseph Papp Public Theater / Newman Theater

Pages:

Adolph Caesar, Allie Woods, anice Marie Singleton, Anna Deavere Smith, Arthur French, Avery Brooks, Barbara Montgomery, Beth Shorter, BILL COBBS, Brent Jennings, Carol-Jean Lewis, Cedric Turner, Charles Brown, Charles Fuller, Charles Weldon, Clarice Taylor, Clayton Corbin, Cleavon Little, Dale Ricardo Shields, David Alan Grier, David Downing, Debra Byrd, Denise Nicholas, Denzel Washington, Dorian Harwood, Douglas Turner Ward, Dyane Harvey-Salaam, Ellis "Skeeter" Williams, Ernest Thomas, Esther Rolle, Ethel Ayler, Frances Foster, Francis Foster, Gerald Krone, Gina Taylor, Gloria Foster, Graham Brown, Hattie Winston, Jack Landron, James Pickens, Jean Ford, Judyann Elder, Larry Marshall, LaTanya Richardson, Lauren Boxley, Lauren Jones, Laurie Carlos, Lawrence Fishburne, Margaret Ford-Taylor, Mary Alice, Mike Hodge, Morgan Freeman, Moses Gunn, O.L. Duke, Peter Friedman, Peter Oliver-Norman, Phillip Lindsey, Raynor Scheine, Reyno, Richard Roundtree, Robert Gossett, Robert Hooks, Robyn Trussel, Ron O'Neal, Rosalind Cash, Roscoe Lee Browne, Roxie Roker, Russell and Rowena Jelliffe, Ruthanna Graves, Samm Art Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, Sara Allen, Stephanie Mills, Trazana Beverley, Wayne Elbert

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.

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