The life of actor and activist Sidney Poitier will be told in a Broadway-targeted play to be written by Charles Randolph-Wright and directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, producers announced today.
According to producers, Sidney will dramatizes Poitier’s life from his upbringing on Cat Island in the Bahamas to his rise to become America’s most revered actor and activist. The play “explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, pride and humility and the price for artistic integrity. Poitier has inspired many artists in multiple fields including encouraging Alice Childress to begin writing when they were both members at American Negro Theatre.”
The play will be produced by Ron Gillyard; Poitier’s daughter, filmmaker Anika Poitier; and Barry Krost.
Chosen by the Poitier family, Randolph-Wright is the author of the play Blue and director of Roundabout Theatre Company’s current revival of Alice Childress’ Trouble in Mind, as well as the upcoming American Prophet: Frederick Douglass In His Own Words). Randolph-Wright’s play is based on Poitier’s best-selling autobiography The Measure of a Man.
Santiago-Hudson is the author, director and star of Broadway’s recent Lackawanna Blues and will direct the upcoming Broadway premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Skeleton Crew.
Casting, creative team and production timeline will be announced at a later date.