RUBEN  SANTIAGO-HUDSON

 Writer, Director, and Performer

by Dale Ricardo Shields

RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON 

Tony, Drama Desk, and Obie Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson is the director of the recent Tony Award-winning Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Jitney which garnered several awards including the Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Drama League, and the NY Drama Critics Circle Awards, along with six Tony nominations. Mr. Santiago-Hudson won a Tony Award as a featured actor for his performance in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars and later went on to direct the play himself to critical acclaim.

Other directing credits include The Piano Lesson,Skeleton Crew, Othello, Gem of The Ocean, Paradise Blue, My Children! My Africa!, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Cabin in the Sky, The Happiest Song Plays Last, Two Trains Running, Things of Dry Hours, The First Breeze Of Summer, and Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine, among many others. He made his Broadway acting debut alongside Gregory Hines in Jelly’s Last Jam. Other Broadway credits include Stick Fly and Gem of The Ocean.

The multi-award-winning director and actor most recently adapted August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for producer Denzel Washington and NETFLIX starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Ruben wrote, executive produced and co-starred in the HBO film Lackawanna Blues based on his OBIE Award-winning play. The movie received several honors including Emmy, Golden Globe, NAACP Image Award, Humanitas, National Board of Reviews, Black Filmmaker’s Foundation, and Christopher Awards. Recently, Ruben co-starred in BET’s drama The Quad and played the role of Captain Roy Montgomery on the hit show Castle for three seasons on ABC. Ruben currently co-stars in Tarell Alvin McCraney’s new series David Makes Man for Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. Ruben has been seen in over three dozen movies. Among his favorites are Lackawanna Blues, American Gangster, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Coming to America, Forgotten Genius, and The Devil’s Advocate.

Ruben earned his MFA in acting from The Hillberry Classical Repertory Theater at Wayne State University, his BA in theatre from Binghamton University, and he also holds Honorary Doctorate degrees from both Wayne State University and Buffalo State College. In a career that spans over four decades, Ruben considers opening The Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center in 2014 in his hometown of Lackawanna, NY as one of his proudest and most cherished accomplishments.

Stray the path… the story of my life:

Ruben Santiago-Hudson at Binghamton University

Ruben has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Binghamton University, a Master of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University, and an honorary doctorate from Buffalo State College.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson joins G. Keith Alexander on WHAT’S HOT! HarlemAmerica to share his journey through iconic roles and groundbreaking projects. From his Emmy-winning portrayal of Dr. Percy Julian in ‘Forgotten Genius’ to his unforgettable character in ‘East New York,’ Ruben’s work continues to spotlight the stories of unsung heroes. Tune in for a deep dive into the mind of an artist dedicated to making history on stage, screen, and beyond.

Back To One Ep. 69: Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Actor/writer/director Ruben Santiago-Hudson is the kind of artist whose awe-inspiring dedication to the work can almost be overwhelming. He won a Tony Award for his performance in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars. His autobiographical play Lackawanna Blues was a sensation at the Public Theater and went on to be an award-winning HBO film. He started directing plays (particularly Wilson’s) and is now one of the most sought-after directors working in theater. His production of Jitney on Broadway won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. As an actor, he can currently be seen on Showtime’s Billions and recently on BET’s The Quad. He wrote the screenplay for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which is coming to Netflix (starring Viola Davis). In this hour he generously gives us so many golden nuggets about his approach to this amazing craft, both as an actor and director, that you’re going to want to listen with a pen and pad in hand.

by Peter Rinaldi
in Filmmaking
on Aug 6, 2019

Director, actor, and writer Ruben Santiago-Hudson most recently directed John Kani’s “Kunene and the King” for the Shakespeare Theatre Company, John Leguizamo’s “The Other Americans” at Arena Stage, and “Destiny of Desire” by Karen Zacarías at The Old Globe. His directing credits also include “Skeleton Crew” for Manhattan Theatre Club, “Othello” for The Public Theater, and “Paradise Blue” for Signature Theatre.

Recognized as one of the preeminent interpreters of the work of August Wilson, Santiago-Hudson won the Best Featured Actor Tony Award for his performance as Canewell in the Broadway production of “Seven Guitars.” He has directed acclaimed productions of Wilson’s works, including “The Piano Lesson” for Signature Theatre, for which he was honored with Obie and Lortel Awards as Best Director. His 2017 production of “Jitney”—the play’s belated Broadway debut—at Manhattan Theatre Club was honored with Tony, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, New York Drama Critics’ Circle, and Drama League Awards. With Stephen McKinley Henderson, he served as co-artistic director of National Public Radio’s recording of August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, comprising the entire canon of Wilson’s plays.

In his one-man play “Lackawanna Blues,” Santiago-Hudson performs more than 20 roles in his theatrical remembrance of the woman who raised him in Lackawanna, New York, in the 1950s. Miss Rachel—or “Nanny”—ran a boarding house at 32 Wasson Avenue, caring for all who came through her doors. Originally produced by The Public Theater in 2001, the play helped reopen Broadway in 2021 when it was staged at Manhattan Theatre Club, with Santiago-Hudson performing and directing—a balm for audiences emerging from the pandemic.

Santiago-Hudson received his MFA from Wayne State University, BA from Binghamton University, and honorary doctorates from Wayne State University and Buffalo State College. In 2014, he opened the Ruben Santiago-Hudson Fine Arts Learning Center in Lackawanna, NY