Wendell Pierce, LaTanya Richardson Jackson Set for Broadway Salute by AAFCA

“Dying of a Salesman” actor Wendell Pierce, “The Piano Lesson” director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and “Until” star John Douglas Thompson are among the many honorees set for the inaugural Salute to Broadway introduced by the African American Movie Critics Affiliation.

The occasion is about for Oct. 17 at The Lambs Membership within the coronary heart of Midtown’s theater district.

“It’s no secret that a few of our biggest actors have come from the stage or have examined their chops on it,” stated Gil Robertson, co-founder of AAFCA. “Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis are only a handful of our beloved icons for which this was true, with Tony winners Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren and Myles Frost amongst these persevering with that legacy. As a dependable pipeline for excellent Black expertise in entrance of the digicam in addition to behind it, Hollywood has benefited significantly from this esteemed coaching floor and AAFCA Salutes Broadway celebrates that wealthy heritage.”

Thompson, famous for his many Shakespearean roles, will obtain the Distinguished Achievement Award. Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer-winning “Topdog/Underdog” — which starred Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and was directed by Kenny Leon in its first Broadway revival — is slated for the Highlight Award.

Pierce, recognized for his work within the HBO sequence “The Wire” and “Treme,” 2014’s “Selma” and the Amazon Prime Video sequence “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” amongst many different roles, will obtain the Beacon Award as he packs Broadway’s Hudson Theatre because the lead in Arthur Miller’s “Dying of a Salesman.” Richardson Jackson will probably be feted with the Vanguard Award as she makes her Broadway directorial debut with August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” starring Samuel L. Jackson, who’s her husband. The manufacturing, which started previews Sept. 19 and opens Oct. 13 at Ethel Barrymore Theatre, makes Richardson Jackson the primary girl to direct a Wilson play on the Primary Stem.

“The intersectionality that exists between the theater, TV and movie communities must be celebrated,” says Debra Martin Chase, a producer of the Tony-winning “A Unusual Loop” in addition to the CBS drama “The Equalizer.” “I’m completely thrilled that AAFCA continues to do the work of championing artists in these areas.”

(Pictured: Wendell Pierce, LaTanya Richardson Jackson)