Joseph A. Walker (playwright)
Joseph A. Walker | |
|---|---|
Walker during his brief acting career | |
| Born | February 24, 1935 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | January 25, 2003 (aged 67) |
| Resting place | Lincoln Memorial Cemetery |
| Occupation | Playwright, director, screenwriter, educator |
| Spouse | Barbara A. Walker (1957–1965) Dorothy Ann Dinroe-Walker (1970–her death in 1995) |
Joseph Alexander Walker (February 24, 1935 – January 25, 2003) was an American playwright and screenwriter, theater director, actor and professor. He is best known for writing The River Niger, a three-act play that was originally produced Off-Broadway in 1972 by the Negro Ensemble Company, before being transferred to Broadway in 1973 and then adapted into a 1976 film of the same name starring James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. In 1974, Walker became the first African-American writer to win a Tony Award, receiving the Tony Award for Best Play for The River Niger. The playwright previously won an Obie Award during that play's 1972 to 1973 Off-Broadway run.