Kwame Kwei-Armah

Kwame Kwei-Armah is the Artistic Director of Baltimore Center Stage where he has directed Toni Morrison’s Jazz,  Marley, One Night in Miami, Amadeus, dance of the holy ghosts, The Mountaintop, An Enemy of the People, The Whipping Man and Things of Dry Hours. For the Public Theater (New York): Twelfth Night, Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, Detroit ‘67 (World Premiere). Other credits include: The Liquid Plain Signature Theater (New York)/Oregon Shakespeare festival, (World Premiere), Porgy and Bess at/with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, One Night in Miami at London’s Donmar Warehouse and One Love at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Kwame was Artistic Director for the Festival of Black Arts and Culture: Senegal, 2010. He conceived and directed the opening ceremony at Senghor National Stadium.

Among his works as playwright are Marley, Beneatha’s Place (Baltimore Center Stage); Elmina’s Kitchen, Fix Up, Statement of Regret (National Theatre); Let There Be Love, Seize the Day (Tricycle Theatre). He is an Associate Director of The Donmar Warehouse and has served on the boards of The National Theatre, The Tricycle Theatre and T.C.G. Kwame was the Chancellor of the University of the Arts London (2010-15), and in 2012 was awarded an OBE for services to drama.

In 2012-2013 and 2014, Kwame was named Best Director in City Paper’s “Best of Baltimore,” and was nominated for the prestigious Stage Directors and Choreographers’ Zelda Fichandler Award for Best Regional Artistic Director in 2015. In 2016 he was awarded the Urban Visionary Award alongside House Representative Elijah Cummings by the Center for Urban Families for his work in the Baltimore community. Kwame’s production of One Night in Miami was nominated for the Oliver Award for “Best New Play of 2016.