AprilYvetteThompsonApril Yvette Thompson is a Tony-winning producer, actor, writer & TheDreamUnLocked Founder.
Film/TV credits include BULL, Blue Caprice, Gotham, Blue Bloods, Babylon Fields, The Exonerated (w/Susan Sarandon & Delroy Lindo), Accidental Husband, Backwards, Law & Order & Third Watch, etc. Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony); Vassar Voices (w/Meryl Streep), Good Bread Alley, Liberty City The Exonerated (w/Gabriel Byrne, Richard Dreyfuss), Medea, King Lear, Macbeth, Antigone & Light Raise the Roof. As SimonSays Entertainment Director of Development, April produced Sundance features: Blue Caprice (w/Isaiah Washington), Mother of George (w/Danai Gurira), Gun Hill Road (w/Esai Morales). April was on the Tony-winning producing teams for 2017 Tony for Best Revival for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson and 2012 Tony for Best Revival, Porgy & Bess starring Audra MacDonald (Tony). April wrote, produced & starred in her Miami Trilogy of plays: Good Bread Alley and Liberty City (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Lortel noms & Jeff Award) at New York Theatre Workshop. Her latest play, Black Lives is in development at NYTW. Education: Vassar College & Rutgers University. AprilYvetteThompson.com SimonSaysEntertainment.com April Yvette Thompson's Complete Biography FILM & TELEVISION April is currently filming the feature The Teacher (dir. Jeremy Engle) opposite Hunter Parrish (Weeds) and Clarke Peters (The Wire). April just wrapped BULL episode "Justified" (dir. Dennis Smith), Gotham (dir. Paul A. Edwards) and the NBC pilot Babylon Fields (dir. Michael Cuesta), Blue Bloods’ episode, Justice is Served (dir. David Barret). April co-starred in The Exonerated with Danny Glover, Aidan Quinn, Delroy Lindo & Susan Sarandon (dir. Bob Balaban) for Court TV. April is featured in Phoebe in Wonderland with Felicity Huffman & Bill Pullman (dir. Daniel Barnz); Accidental Husband with Uma Thurman (dir. Griffin Dunne);Bernard & Doris with Ralph Fiennes & Susan Sarandon, (dir. Bob Balaban) and the independent film I Am Ali at Sundance (dir. Dream Hampton). A huge fan of independent film, April just wrapped filming of Blue Caprice starring Isaiah Washington (dir. Alexandre Moors) and Backwards (dir. Ben Hicknell). April starred in The Commitments (dir. Anika Gibbons) for Comedy Central and Enough (dir. Carlos Millan) for Invalid Productions. April’s television work includes Third Watch, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Dave Chappelle Show, Guiding Light and As The World Turns. Producer April is the Director of Development for SimonSays Entertainment where she is involved in the development of indie feature films including the critically acclaimed Sundance Grand Jury NomineesNight Catches Us starring Kerry Washington & Anthony Mackie (dir. Tanya Hamilton); Gun Hill Roadstarring Esai Morales and Judy Reyes (dir. Rashaad Ernesto Green) and pre-production of the featureHighway to Nowhere (dir. Lanre Olabisi). In 2013, April had two films at Sundance: Mother of George (2013 Sundance Dramatic Competition) which sold to Ossciloscope Labs and Blue Caprice (2013 Sundance NEXT category for Innovative Storytelling) purchased by Sundance Select/IFC Films. Blue Caprice (April is both actor & producer) will open the New Directors/New Films festival at MOMA on March 23, 2013. April was consulting producer on Gun Hill Road and Night Catches Us both available on ITunes, Amazon and Netflix. She was on the producing team of the longest-running Broadway production of Porgy & Bess (Tony for Best Musical Revival) starring Audra McDonald (Tony for Best Actress in a Musical) as well as Tony-winning producing team for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson for 2017 Best Revival. Writer April is currently working on part II of her Miami Trilogy of plays with the support of New York Theatre Workshop, The Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 651 ARTS & Harlem Stage. Her first play, Liberty City explored the experience of a 1970’s African-American/Afro-Cuban & Bahamian family in Miami. The second play in the trilogy, Good Bread Alley, explores four generations of Gullah women living outside the prescribed narrative of “true womanhood” in Miami following the 1926 Hurricane through the heyday of one of Miami’s most infamous neighborhoods – Good Bread Alley. Breaking all the rules and making it up as they went along – entrepreneurship, “womanism”, self-determination and the revolutionary spirit of Santeria & Obeah–four generatons of Gullah women build upon their roots to create a new vision of womanhood in the 20th century. Broadway April starred in the smash Broadway hit, Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony for Best Play) and made her Broadway debut at Lincoln Center's starring in Vassar Voices with fellow alumnae Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow and Frances Sternhagen celebrating Vassar College's Sesquicentennial. Off Broadway April Yvette Thompson’s Liberty City (co-written by April Yvette Thompson & Jessica Blank) was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show and received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Broadway.com Audience and AUDELCO nominations for Best Solo Performance for the world premiere of Liberty City at New York Theatre Workshop. April has appeared Off Broadway in the New York premiere of The Exonerated (dir. Bob Balaban) which ran for a year and half and was named best play of the year; the world premiere of Tanya Barfield & Lynn Nottage’s The Antigone Project at The Women’s Project (dir. Annie Dorsen & Liesl Tommy); the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s Light Raise the Roof (dir. Michael John Garces) at NYTW; the world premiere of Zakiyyah Alexander’s SICK??? (dir. Daniella Topol) at The Summer Play Festival, Susan-Lori Parks’ 365 Plays/365 Days (dir. Liz Diamond) at NYTW & The Public Theatre, The Acting Company’s The Rivals (dir. Nicky Martin), Macbeth (dir. Anne Justine D’Zmura) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (dir. Matt August). A Classical Theatre of Harlem company member, April has received AUDELCO nominations for her work in Medea (dir. Alfred Preisser) and Macbeth and has also appeared in productions of King Lear with Paul Butler and Jean Genet’s The Blacks (dir. Christopher McElroen). A great supporter of new work and the classics, April has played the leads in the workshops of Tanya Barfield’s Of Equal Measure (dir. Leigh Silverman), Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Good Negro , Marcus Gardley’s the road weeps, the well runs dry (dir. Leah Gardiner) at The Lark Play Development Center and New York Theatre Workshop where she is a Usual Suspect and 2010 Writer in Residence at the Dartmouth Retreat. Regional Theatre Recent credits include Liberty City (dir. Jessica Blank) at First Person Arts in Philadelphia and critical acclaim for the Seattle Repertory Theatre West Coast Premiere of “This” (dir. Braden Abraham); the world premiere of Motherhood Outloud (dir. Lisa Peterson) at Hartford Stage; the lead in Hana Sharif’sSprott Cycle at Hartford Stage (dir. Jeremy Cohen); the Miami premiere of Liberty City at the Arsht Center; April originated the role of a Liberian Freedom Fighter at The McCarter Theatre in Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (dir. Liesl Tommy) and co-starred with Wendell Pearce in Nathan Jackson’s Broke-ology at Williamstown Theatre Festival where she also starred in Liberty City. April won a Seattle Footlights Award for Best Performance in Wine in the Wilderness at Seattle ACT, A Raisin in the Sun at Hartford Stage (dir. Seret Scott), the world premiere of Seret Scott’s Second Line at Passage Theatre Company, the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s The Venus De Milo is Armed (dir. Valerie Curtis-Newton) at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, A Raisin in the Sun (dir. L. Kenneth Richardson) at Dallas Theatre Center & Great Lakes Theatre Festival, A Christmas Carol (dir. James Bundy) and From the Mississippi Delta (dir. Kaia Calhoun) at GLTF & Merrimack Repertory Theatre and The African Company Presents Richard III (dir. Hal Scott). April workshopped her solo play, Liberty City at 651 Arts, Hartford Stage, New York Stage & Film, Seattle ACT, The Daryl Roth Theatre and The Mark Taper Forum. International Theatre April received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her portrayal of Sunny Jacobs in The Exonerated. She toured the US and Zimbabwe with From the Mississippi Delta which she performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA). Teaching April has taught at Rutgers University, Vassar College, Harlem School of the Arts, University of Zimbabwe, Maggie Flanigan Studio and various Universities throughout the United States as a Teaching Artist for The Acting Company. April has served as Artist in Residence at Manhattan Theatre Club, 651 Arts, NYTW and Director/Founder of the The Children’s Defense Fund’s Fundi Freedom Schools where she developed Arts in Education Curriculum for 1500 at-risk students. EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, English from Vassar College Master of Fine Arts, Theatre from Rutgers University |
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April Yvette Thompson
April Yvette Thompson is a Tony-winning producer/writer/actor working across media. Film/TV credits include BULL, Blue Caprice, Gotham, Blue Bloods, Babylon Fields, The Exonerated (w/Susan Sarandon & Delroy Lindo), Accidental Husband, Backwards, Law & Order & Third Watch, etc.
Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony); Vassar Voices (w/Meryl Streep), Good Bread Alley, Liberty City The Exonerated (w/Gabriel Byrne, Richard Dreyfuss), Medea, King Lear, Macbeth, Antigone & Light Raise the Roof.
As SimonSays Entertainment Director of Development, April produced Sundance features: Blue Caprice (w/Isaiah Washington), Mother of George (w/Danai Gurira), Gun Hill Road (w/Esai Morales). April was on the Tony-winning producing teams for 2017 Tony for Best Revival for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson and 2012 Tony for Best Revival, Porgy & Bess starring Audra MacDonald (Tony).
April wrote, produced & starred in her Miami Trilogy of plays: Good Bread Alley and Liberty City (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Lortel noms & Jeff Award) at New York Theatre Workshop. Her latest play, Black Lives is in development at NYTW.
Education: Vassar College & Rutgers University.
AprilYvetteThompson.com
SimonSaysEntertainment.com
April Yvette Thompson's Complete Biography
FILM & TELEVISION
April is currently filming the feature The Teacher (dir. Jeremy Engle) opposite Hunter Parrish (Weeds) and Clarke Peters (The Wire). April just wrapped BULL episode "Justified" (dir. Dennis Smith), Gotham (dir. Paul A. Edwards) and the NBC pilot Babylon Fields (dir. Michael Cuesta), Blue Bloods’ episode, Justice is Served (dir. David Barret). April co-starred in The Exonerated with Danny Glover, Aidan Quinn, Delroy Lindo & Susan Sarandon (dir. Bob Balaban) for Court TV. April is featured in Phoebe in Wonderland with Felicity Huffman & Bill Pullman (dir. Daniel Barnz); Accidental Husband with Uma Thurman (dir. Griffin Dunne);Bernard & Doris with Ralph Fiennes & Susan Sarandon, (dir. Bob Balaban) and the independent film I Am Ali at Sundance (dir. Dream Hampton). A huge fan of independent film, April just wrapped filming of Blue Caprice starring Isaiah Washington (dir. Alexandre Moors) and Backwards (dir. Ben Hicknell). April starred in The Commitments (dir. Anika Gibbons) for Comedy Central and Enough (dir. Carlos Millan) for Invalid Productions. April’s television work includes Third Watch, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Dave Chappelle Show, Guiding Light and As The World Turns.
Producer
April is the Director of Development for SimonSays Entertainment where she is involved in the development of indie feature films including the critically acclaimed Sundance Grand Jury NomineesNight Catches Us starring Kerry Washington & Anthony Mackie (dir. Tanya Hamilton); Gun Hill Roadstarring Esai Morales and Judy Reyes (dir. Rashaad Ernesto Green) and pre-production of the featureHighway to Nowhere (dir. Lanre Olabisi).
In 2013, April had two films at Sundance: Mother of George (2013 Sundance Dramatic Competition) which sold to Ossciloscope Labs and Blue Caprice (2013 Sundance NEXT category for Innovative Storytelling) purchased by Sundance Select/IFC Films. Blue Caprice (April is both actor & producer) will open the New Directors/New Films festival at MOMA on March 23, 2013. April was consulting producer on Gun Hill Road and Night Catches Us both available on ITunes, Amazon and Netflix. She was on the producing team of the longest-running Broadway production of Porgy & Bess (Tony for Best Musical Revival) starring Audra McDonald (Tony for Best Actress in a Musical) as well as Tony-winning producing team for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson for 2017 Best Revival.
Writer
April is currently working on part II of her Miami Trilogy of plays with the support of New York Theatre Workshop, The Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 651 ARTS & Harlem Stage. Her first play, Liberty City explored the experience of a 1970’s African-American/Afro-Cuban & Bahamian family in Miami. The second play in the trilogy, Good Bread Alley, explores four generations of Gullah women living outside the prescribed narrative of “true womanhood” in Miami following the 1926 Hurricane through the heyday of one of Miami’s most infamous neighborhoods – Good Bread Alley.
Breaking all the rules and making it up as they went along – entrepreneurship, “womanism”, self-determination and the revolutionary spirit of Santeria & Obeah–four generatons of Gullah women build upon their roots to create a new vision of womanhood in the 20th century.
Broadway
April starred in the smash Broadway hit, Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony for Best Play) and made her Broadway debut at Lincoln Center's starring in Vassar Voices with fellow alumnae Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow and Frances Sternhagen celebrating Vassar College's Sesquicentennial.
Off Broadway
April Yvette Thompson’s Liberty City (co-written by April Yvette Thompson & Jessica Blank) was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show and received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Broadway.com Audience and AUDELCO nominations for Best Solo Performance for the world premiere of Liberty City at New York Theatre Workshop.
April has appeared Off Broadway in the New York premiere of The Exonerated (dir. Bob Balaban) which ran for a year and half and was named best play of the year; the world premiere of Tanya Barfield & Lynn Nottage’s The Antigone Project at The Women’s Project (dir. Annie Dorsen & Liesl Tommy); the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s Light Raise the Roof (dir. Michael John Garces) at NYTW; the world premiere of Zakiyyah Alexander’s SICK??? (dir. Daniella Topol) at The Summer Play Festival, Susan-Lori Parks’ 365 Plays/365 Days (dir. Liz Diamond) at NYTW & The Public Theatre, The Acting Company’s The Rivals (dir. Nicky Martin), Macbeth (dir. Anne Justine D’Zmura) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (dir. Matt August). A Classical Theatre of Harlem company member, April has received AUDELCO nominations for her work in Medea (dir. Alfred Preisser) and Macbeth and has also appeared in productions of King Lear with Paul Butler and Jean Genet’s The Blacks (dir. Christopher McElroen).
A great supporter of new work and the classics, April has played the leads in the workshops of Tanya Barfield’s Of Equal Measure (dir. Leigh Silverman), Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Good Negro , Marcus Gardley’s the road weeps, the well runs dry (dir. Leah Gardiner) at The Lark Play Development Center and New York Theatre Workshop where she is a Usual Suspect and 2010 Writer in Residence at the Dartmouth Retreat.
Regional Theatre
Recent credits include Liberty City (dir. Jessica Blank) at First Person Arts in Philadelphia and critical acclaim for the Seattle Repertory Theatre West Coast Premiere of “This” (dir. Braden Abraham); the world premiere of Motherhood Outloud (dir. Lisa Peterson) at Hartford Stage; the lead in Hana Sharif’sSprott Cycle at Hartford Stage (dir. Jeremy Cohen); the Miami premiere of Liberty City at the Arsht Center; April originated the role of a Liberian Freedom Fighter at The McCarter Theatre in Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (dir. Liesl Tommy) and co-starred with Wendell Pearce in Nathan Jackson’s Broke-ology at Williamstown Theatre Festival where she also starred in Liberty City. April won a Seattle Footlights Award for Best Performance in Wine in the Wilderness at Seattle ACT, A Raisin in the Sun at Hartford Stage (dir. Seret Scott), the world premiere of Seret Scott’s Second Line at Passage Theatre Company, the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s The Venus De Milo is Armed (dir. Valerie Curtis-Newton) at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, A Raisin in the Sun (dir. L. Kenneth Richardson) at Dallas Theatre Center & Great Lakes Theatre Festival, A Christmas Carol (dir. James Bundy) and From the Mississippi Delta (dir. Kaia Calhoun) at GLTF & Merrimack Repertory Theatre and The African Company Presents Richard III (dir. Hal Scott). April workshopped her solo play, Liberty City at 651 Arts, Hartford Stage, New York Stage & Film, Seattle ACT, The Daryl Roth Theatre and The Mark Taper Forum.
International Theatre
April received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her portrayal of Sunny Jacobs in The Exonerated. She toured the US and Zimbabwe with From the Mississippi Delta which she performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).
Teaching
April has taught at Rutgers University, Vassar College, Harlem School of the Arts, University of Zimbabwe, Maggie Flanigan Studio and various Universities throughout the United States as a Teaching Artist for The Acting Company. April has served as Artist in Residence at Manhattan Theatre Club, 651 Arts, NYTW and Director/Founder of the The Children’s Defense Fund’s Fundi Freedom Schools where she developed Arts in Education Curriculum for 1500 at-risk students.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, English from Vassar College
Master of Fine Arts, Theatre from Rutgers University
April Yvette Thompson is a Tony-winning producer/writer/actor working across media. Film/TV credits include BULL, Blue Caprice, Gotham, Blue Bloods, Babylon Fields, The Exonerated (w/Susan Sarandon & Delroy Lindo), Accidental Husband, Backwards, Law & Order & Third Watch, etc.
Broadway/Off Broadway credits include Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony); Vassar Voices (w/Meryl Streep), Good Bread Alley, Liberty City The Exonerated (w/Gabriel Byrne, Richard Dreyfuss), Medea, King Lear, Macbeth, Antigone & Light Raise the Roof.
As SimonSays Entertainment Director of Development, April produced Sundance features: Blue Caprice (w/Isaiah Washington), Mother of George (w/Danai Gurira), Gun Hill Road (w/Esai Morales). April was on the Tony-winning producing teams for 2017 Tony for Best Revival for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson and 2012 Tony for Best Revival, Porgy & Bess starring Audra MacDonald (Tony).
April wrote, produced & starred in her Miami Trilogy of plays: Good Bread Alley and Liberty City (Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Lortel noms & Jeff Award) at New York Theatre Workshop. Her latest play, Black Lives is in development at NYTW.
Education: Vassar College & Rutgers University.
AprilYvetteThompson.com
SimonSaysEntertainment.com
April Yvette Thompson's Complete Biography
FILM & TELEVISION
April is currently filming the feature The Teacher (dir. Jeremy Engle) opposite Hunter Parrish (Weeds) and Clarke Peters (The Wire). April just wrapped BULL episode "Justified" (dir. Dennis Smith), Gotham (dir. Paul A. Edwards) and the NBC pilot Babylon Fields (dir. Michael Cuesta), Blue Bloods’ episode, Justice is Served (dir. David Barret). April co-starred in The Exonerated with Danny Glover, Aidan Quinn, Delroy Lindo & Susan Sarandon (dir. Bob Balaban) for Court TV. April is featured in Phoebe in Wonderland with Felicity Huffman & Bill Pullman (dir. Daniel Barnz); Accidental Husband with Uma Thurman (dir. Griffin Dunne);Bernard & Doris with Ralph Fiennes & Susan Sarandon, (dir. Bob Balaban) and the independent film I Am Ali at Sundance (dir. Dream Hampton). A huge fan of independent film, April just wrapped filming of Blue Caprice starring Isaiah Washington (dir. Alexandre Moors) and Backwards (dir. Ben Hicknell). April starred in The Commitments (dir. Anika Gibbons) for Comedy Central and Enough (dir. Carlos Millan) for Invalid Productions. April’s television work includes Third Watch, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Dave Chappelle Show, Guiding Light and As The World Turns.
Producer
April is the Director of Development for SimonSays Entertainment where she is involved in the development of indie feature films including the critically acclaimed Sundance Grand Jury NomineesNight Catches Us starring Kerry Washington & Anthony Mackie (dir. Tanya Hamilton); Gun Hill Roadstarring Esai Morales and Judy Reyes (dir. Rashaad Ernesto Green) and pre-production of the featureHighway to Nowhere (dir. Lanre Olabisi).
In 2013, April had two films at Sundance: Mother of George (2013 Sundance Dramatic Competition) which sold to Ossciloscope Labs and Blue Caprice (2013 Sundance NEXT category for Innovative Storytelling) purchased by Sundance Select/IFC Films. Blue Caprice (April is both actor & producer) will open the New Directors/New Films festival at MOMA on March 23, 2013. April was consulting producer on Gun Hill Road and Night Catches Us both available on ITunes, Amazon and Netflix. She was on the producing team of the longest-running Broadway production of Porgy & Bess (Tony for Best Musical Revival) starring Audra McDonald (Tony for Best Actress in a Musical) as well as Tony-winning producing team for August Wilson's Jitney directed by Ruben Santiago Hudson for 2017 Best Revival.
Writer
April is currently working on part II of her Miami Trilogy of plays with the support of New York Theatre Workshop, The Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 651 ARTS & Harlem Stage. Her first play, Liberty City explored the experience of a 1970’s African-American/Afro-Cuban & Bahamian family in Miami. The second play in the trilogy, Good Bread Alley, explores four generations of Gullah women living outside the prescribed narrative of “true womanhood” in Miami following the 1926 Hurricane through the heyday of one of Miami’s most infamous neighborhoods – Good Bread Alley.
Breaking all the rules and making it up as they went along – entrepreneurship, “womanism”, self-determination and the revolutionary spirit of Santeria & Obeah–four generatons of Gullah women build upon their roots to create a new vision of womanhood in the 20th century.
Broadway
April starred in the smash Broadway hit, Clybourne Park, (Pulitzer & Tony for Best Play) and made her Broadway debut at Lincoln Center's starring in Vassar Voices with fellow alumnae Meryl Streep, Lisa Kudrow and Frances Sternhagen celebrating Vassar College's Sesquicentennial.
Off Broadway
April Yvette Thompson’s Liberty City (co-written by April Yvette Thompson & Jessica Blank) was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show and received Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Broadway.com Audience and AUDELCO nominations for Best Solo Performance for the world premiere of Liberty City at New York Theatre Workshop.
April has appeared Off Broadway in the New York premiere of The Exonerated (dir. Bob Balaban) which ran for a year and half and was named best play of the year; the world premiere of Tanya Barfield & Lynn Nottage’s The Antigone Project at The Women’s Project (dir. Annie Dorsen & Liesl Tommy); the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s Light Raise the Roof (dir. Michael John Garces) at NYTW; the world premiere of Zakiyyah Alexander’s SICK??? (dir. Daniella Topol) at The Summer Play Festival, Susan-Lori Parks’ 365 Plays/365 Days (dir. Liz Diamond) at NYTW & The Public Theatre, The Acting Company’s The Rivals (dir. Nicky Martin), Macbeth (dir. Anne Justine D’Zmura) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (dir. Matt August). A Classical Theatre of Harlem company member, April has received AUDELCO nominations for her work in Medea (dir. Alfred Preisser) and Macbeth and has also appeared in productions of King Lear with Paul Butler and Jean Genet’s The Blacks (dir. Christopher McElroen).
A great supporter of new work and the classics, April has played the leads in the workshops of Tanya Barfield’s Of Equal Measure (dir. Leigh Silverman), Tracey Scott Wilson’s The Good Negro , Marcus Gardley’s the road weeps, the well runs dry (dir. Leah Gardiner) at The Lark Play Development Center and New York Theatre Workshop where she is a Usual Suspect and 2010 Writer in Residence at the Dartmouth Retreat.
Regional Theatre
Recent credits include Liberty City (dir. Jessica Blank) at First Person Arts in Philadelphia and critical acclaim for the Seattle Repertory Theatre West Coast Premiere of “This” (dir. Braden Abraham); the world premiere of Motherhood Outloud (dir. Lisa Peterson) at Hartford Stage; the lead in Hana Sharif’sSprott Cycle at Hartford Stage (dir. Jeremy Cohen); the Miami premiere of Liberty City at the Arsht Center; April originated the role of a Liberian Freedom Fighter at The McCarter Theatre in Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed (dir. Liesl Tommy) and co-starred with Wendell Pearce in Nathan Jackson’s Broke-ology at Williamstown Theatre Festival where she also starred in Liberty City. April won a Seattle Footlights Award for Best Performance in Wine in the Wilderness at Seattle ACT, A Raisin in the Sun at Hartford Stage (dir. Seret Scott), the world premiere of Seret Scott’s Second Line at Passage Theatre Company, the world premiere of Kia Corthron’s The Venus De Milo is Armed (dir. Valerie Curtis-Newton) at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, A Raisin in the Sun (dir. L. Kenneth Richardson) at Dallas Theatre Center & Great Lakes Theatre Festival, A Christmas Carol (dir. James Bundy) and From the Mississippi Delta (dir. Kaia Calhoun) at GLTF & Merrimack Repertory Theatre and The African Company Presents Richard III (dir. Hal Scott). April workshopped her solo play, Liberty City at 651 Arts, Hartford Stage, New York Stage & Film, Seattle ACT, The Daryl Roth Theatre and The Mark Taper Forum.
International Theatre
April received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her portrayal of Sunny Jacobs in The Exonerated. She toured the US and Zimbabwe with From the Mississippi Delta which she performed at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).
Teaching
April has taught at Rutgers University, Vassar College, Harlem School of the Arts, University of Zimbabwe, Maggie Flanigan Studio and various Universities throughout the United States as a Teaching Artist for The Acting Company. April has served as Artist in Residence at Manhattan Theatre Club, 651 Arts, NYTW and Director/Founder of the The Children’s Defense Fund’s Fundi Freedom Schools where she developed Arts in Education Curriculum for 1500 at-risk students.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, English from Vassar College
Master of Fine Arts, Theatre from Rutgers University