Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Lackawanna Blues

a play
author

Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine

a play
Director

Lackawanna Blues

Center Theatre Group

Mark Taper Forum

Los Angeles, CA
March 5 – April 21, 2019

How I Learned What I Learned

Signature Theatre Company

The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center

New York, NY
November 5 – December 29, 2013

Stick Fly

Cort Theatre

New York, NY
November 18, 2011 – February 25, 2012
Joseph LeVay

The Winter’s Tale

The Public Theater

Delacorte Theatre

New York, NY
June 9 – August 1, 2010
Leontes 

Finian’s Rainbow

City Center Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert

New York City Center Mainstage Theater

New York, NY
March 26 – 29, 2009
Billboard

Defiance

workshop production
New York Stage and Film

The Hallie Flanagan Davis Powerhouse Theater

Poughkeepsie, NY
July 29 – 31, 2005
Captain King

Gem of the Ocean

Walter Kerr Theatre

New York, NY
December 6, 2004 – February 6, 2005
Caesar

Gem of the Ocean

Huntington Theatre Company

Boston University Theatre – Mainstage

Boston, MA
September 24 – October 20, 2004
Caesar  

Lackawanna Blues – National Tour

The Studio Theatre

The Studio Theatre Mead Theatre

Washington, DC
June 6 – 26, 2003

Lackawanna Blues

Long Wharf Theatre

Long Wharf Theatre Mainstage

New Haven, CT
February 5 – March 16, 2003

Lackawanna Blues

Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival Main Stage

Williamstown, MA
August 21 – 25, 2002

Lackawanna Blues

The Public Theater

Joseph Papp Public Theater/LuEsther Hall

New York, NY
April 15 – May 27, 2001

A Raisin in the Sun

Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival Main Stage

Williamstown, MA
July 21 – August 1, 1999
Walter Lee Younger

Henry VIII

Joseph Papp Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival

Delacorte Theatre

New York, NY
June 13 – July 9, 1997
King Henry VIII

Seven Guitars

Walter Kerr Theatre

New York, NY
March 17 – September 8, 1996
Canewell

Seven Guitars

Huntington Theatre Company

Boston University Theatre – Mainstage

Boston, MA
September 15 – October 1995
Canewell

Seven Guitars

world premiere
Goodman Theatre

Goodman Theatre

Chicago, IL
January 13 – February 18, 1995
Canewell

East Texas Hot Links

The Public Theater

The Public Theater Anspacher Theatre

New York, NY
January 4 – 30, 1994
Roy

Measure for Measure

The New York Shakespeare Festival

Delacorte Theatre

New York, NY
July 1 – 25, 1993
Lucio

Jelly’s Last Jam

The Virginia Theatre

New York, NY
April 1992 – September 5, 1993
Buddy Bolden

It’s Showdown Time

Crossroads Theater Company

Crossroads Theatre (Memorial Pkwy)

New Brunswick, NJ
October 1983
Adam

DIRECTOR

Production Credits

 

Oo-Bla-Dee

Two River Theater Company

Two River Theater Company Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater

Red Bank, NJ
June 8 – 30, 2019
Director
*

Lackawanna Blues

Center Theatre Group

Mark Taper Forum

Los Angeles, CA
March 5 – April 21, 2019
Director
*

Othello

The Public Theater

Delacorte Theatre

New York, NY
May 29 – June 24, 2018
Director
*

Paradise Blue

Signature Theatre Company

The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center

New York, NY
April 24 – June 10, 2018
Director
*

Jitney

Manhattan Theatre Club

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

New York, NY
December 28, 2016 – March 12, 2017
Director
*

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Two River Theater Company

Two River Theater Company Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater

Red Bank, NJ
September 10 – October 9, 2016
Director
*

Skeleton Crew

world premiere
Atlantic Theater Company

Atlantic Theater Company Atlantic Stage 2

New York, NY

Atlantic Theater Company Linda Gross Theater

New York, NY
January 6 – June 19, 2016
Director
*

Paradise Blue

world premiere
Williamstown Theatre Festival

Williamstown Theatre Festival Main Stage

Williamstown, MA
July 22 – August 2, 2015
Director
*

Your Blues Ain’t Sweet Like Mine

Two River Theater Company

Two River Theater Company Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater

Red Bank, NJ
April 11 – May 3, 2015
Director
*

The Happiest Song Plays Last

Second Stage Theatre

Tony Kiser Theatre

New York, NY
February 11 – March 23, 2014
Director
*

Two Trains Running

Two River Theater Company

Two River Theater Company Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater

Red Bank, NJ
February 2 – March 3, 2013
Director
*

The Piano Lesson

Signature Theatre Company

The Irene Diamond Stage at The Pershing Square Signature Center

New York, NY
January 29 – March 10, 2013
Director
*

My Children! My Africa!

Signature Theatre Company

The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center

New York, NY
May 1 – June 10, 2012
Director
*

Their Eyes Were Watching God

staged reading

The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space at WNYC

New York City, NY
February 29 – March 1, 2012
Director
*

Jitney

Two River Theater Company

Two River Theater Company Joan and Robert Rechnitz Theater

Red Bank, NJ
January 31 – February 19, 2012
Director
*

Things of Dry Hours

New York Theatre Workshop

New York Theatre Workshop

New York, NY
June 9 – 28, 2009
Director
*

The First Breeze of Summer

Signature Theatre Company

Peter Norton Space

New York, NY
August 5 – October 19, 2008
Director
*

Seven Guitars

Signature Theatre Company

Peter Norton Space

New York, NY
July 31 – October 15, 2006
Director
*

Gem of the Ocean

McCarter Theatre Center

Matthews Theatre Auditorium at the McCarter Theatre Center

Princeton, NJ
October 11 – 30, 2005
Director
*

Gem of the Ocean

American Conservatory Theater

American Conservatory Theater Geary Theater

San Francisco, CA
2005 – 2006

Awards

2017

Winner:
Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Director of a Play
Jitney — director
nomination:
Tony Award: Best Direction of a Play
Jitney — director

2016-2017

Citation:
New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award: Special Citation
Jitney — director

2016

Citation:
Obie Award: Special Citation
Skeleton Crew — director

2014

Nomination:
Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Solo Performance
How I Learned What I Learned — performer
nomination:
Drama League Award: Distinguished Performance
How I Learned What I Learned — performer

2013-2014

Nomination:
Outer Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Solo Performance
How I Learned What I Learned — Performer

2013

Winner:
Lortel Award: Outstanding Director
The Piano Lesson — Director
Nomination:
Drama Desk Award: Outstanding Director of a Play
The Piano Lesson — Director
nomination:
Callaway Award: Directors
The Piano Lesson — Director

2004

Winner:
Helen Hayes Award: Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production
Lackawanna Blues – National Tour — Performer

1996

Winner:
Equity Award: The Clarence Derwent Award
Seven Guitars — Canewell
Winner:
Tony Award: Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Seven Guitars — Canewell

 

Pages:

iforcolor

ARCHIVIST, EDUCATOR, HISTORIAN, and ARTiST
Dale Shields is a professor of theatre, director, and actor (Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway, and Regional).
Research Accomplishments:
The 2017 winner of The Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award®, 2017 and 2015 Tony® award nominee for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, and the winner of the 2017 AUDELCO/"VIV" Special Achievement Award. In 2020 He was also awarded The Actors Fund / Encore Award

On the web, he is the archivist and historian of Iforcolor.org and Black Theatre/African American Voices [Facebook] (theatre, music, and art). He has taught classes and workshops at SUNY Potsdam, Susquehanna University, Denison University, Randolph-Macon College, Macalester College, The College of Wooster, Ohio University, Wayne State University, and the Joseph Papp Public Theatre (New York Shakespeare Festival).

Education
B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees from Ohio University.