In this episode we have award-winning playwright and actress Nambi E. Kelley as our guest. 

Nambi was chosen by literary legend Toni Morrison to adapt her novel Jazz for the stage (Baltimore Center Stage, Marin Theatre Company). Nambi also penned an adaptation of Richard Wright’s Native Son that has been seen at theatres across the country, most notably at The Duke on 42nd Street (Off-Broadway Premiere, The Acting Company), Yale Repertory Theatre, and the Court Theatre in Chicago (world premiere). Nambi has authored plays for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, Lincoln Center (Director’s Fest), and internationally. She is a former playwright-in-residence at the National Black Theatre in New York, and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. 

She recently served in residence at New Victory Theatre and as a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellow. Nambi has been recognized with several awards and nominations including the AUDELCO Award for “Best Production” for Native Son (Off-Broadway Premiere 2019), a Drama League nomination for “Best Revival” for the same production; the Prince Prize 2019; and a Dramatists Guild Foundation Writers Alliance Grant 2018-19. Her current commissions include a play based on the life of Stokely Carmichael (Prince Prize/Court Theatre) and one on African American icon Dr. Maya Angelou (North Carolina Black Repertory Theatre). Nambi is a season three staff writer on Showtime’s The Chi.   

Find out more about Nambi at nambikelley.com   

Find out more about Beyond The Canon at beyondthecanon.com

Intro Music: Chill Soul Rap Instrumental by Nkato https://soundcloud.com/nkato  

Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0  

Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/chill-soul-rap-instrumental  

Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/sdfcUBhRlgs