Professional Acting Experience:2005 CAROLINE OR CHANGE-Caroline-directed by George C. Wolfe, written by Tony Kushner and Jenine Tesori- Eugene O'Neill Theater 2000:
1997:
1995:
1992:
1981: | THE WILD PARTY - Kate - directed by George Wolfe, written by George Wolfe
and Michael John LeChuisa; starring Toni Collette, Mandy Patinkin and
Eartha Kitt; The Virginia Theater.
PLAY ON - Lady Liv - directed by Sheldon Epps, written by Cheryl West and
Duke Ellington; starring Carl Anderson and Larry Marshall;
The Brooks Atkinson Theater.
CHRONICLE OF A DEATH FORETOLD - Clotilde - directed by Graciela
Daniele, written by Jim Lewis, Michael John LaChuisa, Graciela Daniele and
Bob Telson; starring Saundra Santiago; The Plymouth Theater.
JELLY'S LAST JAM - Sweet Anita - directed and written by George Wolfe;
starring Gregory Hines, Keith David, Savion Glover, Ben Vereen, Brian Stokes
Mitchell, Reuben Santiago Hudson and Ann Duquesnay; The Virginia Theater.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG - Gwen Wilson - directed by Harold Prince,
written by Steven Sondheim and George Furth; starring Jason Alexander, Lonny Price
and Giancarlo Esposito; The Neil Simon Theater. |
2003:
2000:
1993:
1990:
1990:
1989:
1985:
1983: | THE HOUSE OF FLOWERS, directed by Kathleen Marshall, written by Truman
Capote and Harold Arlen, starring Armelia McQueen, Maurice Hines. Roscoe Lee
Browne, City Centers ENCORES.
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES, directed by Joe Montello, written by Eve
Ensler; starring Brett Butler and Kimberly Williams; West Side Theater.
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR - Mistress Ford - directed by Daniel
Sullivan, written by William Shakespeare; starring Brian Murray, David Alan
Grier and Margaret Whitton; The Delacourte Theater.
CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE - various roles - directed by George Wolfe,
written/adapted by George Wolfe; starring Charlayne Woodard and Reggie
Montgomery; The Public Theater.
BELIEVIN' directed by Clinton Turner-Davis; starring Wendell Pierce and
Cynthia Martell; Young Playwright's Festival; PSYCHONEUROTIC
FANTASIES - directed by Gloria Muzio; Playwright's Horizons.
JUST SAY NO - Eustacia Vye - directed by David Esbjornson, written by Larry
Kramer; starring Cathleen Chalfant and David Margulies; The WPA Theater.
MY NAME IS ALICE - Charlaine/Alaina - directed by Julie-Ann Boyd and
Joan Micklin-Silver; starring Donna Murphy; The Village Gate.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - Urchin - directed by Howard Ashman,
written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menckan; starring Ellen Greene and
Faith Prince; The Orpheum Theater. |
2005 CAROLINE OR CHANGE-wriiten by Tonya Kushner and Jenine Tesori, The Curren Theater San Francisco
2004 CAROLINE OR CHANGE- wriiten by Tony Kushner and Jenine Tesori, The Amanson Theater Los Angeles 2001:
2000:
2000:
1998:
1991:
1989:
1989:
1985-
1988: | UNTITLED SOLO WORK- written by Tonya Pinkins, directed by Ted Sod- George
Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, New Jersey
NO NIGGERS, NO JEWS, NO DOGS - Mattie - directed by David Esbjornson,
written by John Henry Redwood; starring Reuben Santiago Hudson; Eugene
O'Neill Conference, New London, Connecticut.
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE - Muzzy - directed by Michael Mayer,
written by Richard Morris, Dick Scanlan and Jeanine Tesori; The La Jolla
Playhouse, LaJolla, California.
PLAY ON - Lady Liv - directed by Sheldon Epps, written by Cheryl West and Duke Ellington; Seattle Repertory Theater, Seattle; The Goodman Theater,
Chicago; The Old Globe Theater, San Diego.
JELLY'S LAST JAM - Sweet Anita - directed by George Wolfe,
written by George Wolfe, Susan Birkenhead and Jelly Roll Morton;
The Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles.
THE PIANO LESSON - Grace - directed by Lloyd Richards, written by August
Wilson; starring Roc Dutton, Rocky Carroll and S. Epatha Markerson; The
Goodman Theater, Chicago.
JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE - Mattie - directed by Claude Purdy,
written by August Wilson; The Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh.
STEALIN' directed by Ted Sod, written by Ted Sod and Ada Janek; Eugene
O'Neill Music Theater Conference; LIGHTENING AND GAIA, written by Joe
Pintaro; SHE SAID A BAD WORD, Circle Repertory Lab, New York. |
2005 SUPERCELL- Anita Alsayeed- Showtime
2005 PREMIUM- Mailaka- written by Pete 2001/2002:
2000:
1995
1995:
1995:
1990-95:
1993:
1990:
1987:
1986:
1985:
1985:
1983:
1982-87: | ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES directed by John Tuturro- starring James Gandolphini, Susan Sarandion, kate Winslet, mandy Moore, Mary Louise Parker THE GUARDIAN - (CBS) - guest lead
REDEMPTION - a USC short subject thesis film by Fernandel Almonor
ABOVE THE RIM - directed by Jeff Pollack; starring Tupac, Leon, Marlon
Wayans, Bernie Mac and Duane Martin; New Line Pictures.
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL - Lead - Series Regular, Spelling Entertainment, UPN
WOMEN IN PRISON - Lead - directed by Karen Arthur; ABC
ALL MY CHILDREN - Livia Frye Cudahy
STRAPPED - ATF Officer - directed by Forrest Whittaker; HBO
COSBY - Guest Lead - NBC
LAW AND ORDER - Guest Lead - NBC
RAGE OF ANGELS BOOK II - directed by D. W. Swackhammer
CRIME STORY - Guest Lead - NBC
SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL - directed by Arthur Miller
BEAT STREET - Angie - directed by Stan Lathan; Orion Pictures
AS THE WORLD TURNS - Heather Dalton - CBS |
Awards and Honors:
Los Angeles Drama Critics Award, The Garland Award,Audelco Award 2004 Oustanding Performance by an actress in a musical for Caroline or Change Obie Award 2004 Oustanding performance by an actress in a musical for Caroline or Change Lucille Lortel Award 2004 outstanding performance by an actress in a musical for Caroline or Change 2004 Tony Nomination 2004 Drama Desk Nomination 2004 Outer Critics Circle Nomination 2004 Dramaleague Nomination 1998:
1998:
1997:
1993:
1992:
1992:
1992:
1992:
1992:
1980:
| BLACK THEATER ALLIANCE AWARD, Best Featured Actress
for "Play On," Goodman Theater, Chicago
JOSEPH JEFFERSON NOMINATION, Best Actress in a Musical
for "Play On," Goodman Theater, Chicago
TONY NOMINATION, Best Actress in a Musical for "Play On," Broadway
1993 OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD, Best Featured Actress in a Musical
for "Jelly's Last Jam," Broadway
N.A.A.C.P. IMAGE NOMINATION, Best Actress in a Daytime Drama
for "All My Children"
TONY AWARD, Best Featured Actress in a Musical
for "Jelly's Last Jam," Broadway
DRAMA DESK AWARD, Best Featured Actress in a Musical"
for "Jelly's Last Jam," Broadway
CLARENCE DERWENT AWARD, Most Promising Actress of the Season
for "Jelly's Last Jam," Broadway
MONARCH AWARD, Best Actress in a Musical
for "Jelly's Last Jam," Broadway
SOAP OPERA DIGEST NOMINATION, Best Featured Actress in a Daytime
Drama for "All My Children"
NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLAR |
Teaching/Lectures/Directing/Script Development Experience:
Spiritworks- lecture "Career vs Job- Are you about your business or Somebody else's?" Los Angeles August 2005 Omega Institute -Arts Week= The Actorpreneur Attitude-July 2005 Omega "Being Fearless Conference" Sheraton NY April 2005 Essence Women Who Are Changing The World Summit- NYC Oct 2004 National Foundation For Advancement of The Arts-National Panelist-Oldest Arts Awards Organization in the country. Finalists go on to be Presidential Scholars. 2003-2006
Creative Planet School For The Arts, El Monte, California-Music Theatre Workshop for 25 students K-12, 2003
National Foundation For The Advancement of the Arts- Regional Panelist coaching High School applicants and administering scholarships 2001-2002
June 2002 V-DAY- San Miguel de Allende, Mexico GTO, part of the world Health Conference and benefiting the CASA Midwifery clinic
Private Coaching in voice, music performance and acting 2002
LAUSD - Visual Arts Instructor, 6th to 8th grades, 2000-2001
THE DIVA PROJECT - directed by Ted Sod; George Street Playhouse,
Trenton, New Jersey. I will teach eighth-grade girls to write a performance piece
based on their own lives. I will perform a one-woman piece. 2001
University of California at San Diego - Teaching cold reading for the second-year
graduate students (Substituting for Acting Chair Kyle Donnelly), fall 2000.
Montclair School of Dance, Teaching private acting class, 1993.
Playwrights' Preview Productions, Playwriting Committee
Responsible for selecting new plays and staging readings, 1986-88.
Organization of Black Screenwriters Script Development Committee
Responsible for reading new scripts and writing coverage.
Education:
Los Angeles Community College, Cinema Program
Santa Monica College Arts and Entertainment Technology Program.
Columbia College, Chicago, Bachelor of Arts, 1996.
California Western Law School, 1996.
Writer's Bootcamp, Chicago, 1995.
Robert McKee's Story Structure, 1989.
William Esper Two-Year Professional Program - Bill Esper, New York, 1987-89.
Stella Adler Studio - Stella Adler, Scene Study, New York, 1984.
Warren Robertson Studio - Warren Robertson, Scene Study, New York, 1983.
Alice Spivak, private acting coach, New York.
Herbert Berghoff Studio - Herbert Berghoff, 1982.
Carnegie Mellon University- music theater program 1980-1981
Northwestern university, Summer Theater Institute, Chicago, 1978.
Goodman Theater Young People's Program, 1978-79.
St. Nicholas Theater Company, 1977, Acting and Scene Study with William H. Macy and
Steven Schacter.
Seth Riggs- voice , Joan Lader- voice, Thurman Bailey, Private Voice Study, 1992 - 2000.
American Academy of Music, Chicago, Eileen Deneen, Norman Gilbrandson - Singing.
Broadway Dance; Jazz Dancing.
Ruth Page School of Ballet (Scholarship student).
Published Work:
2006 Get Over Yourself: How to drop the drama and claim the life you deserve- Hyperion Books 1997 AFTRA MAGAZINE 60 YEAR ISSUE - "Having It All."
Numerous background and featured musical compositions for ALL MY CHILDREN, ANOTHER WORLD, AS THE WORLD TURNS, and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW.
Unpublished Work:
1999 - A Trial of Faith: Memoirs of a Pro Se Litigant
First-person account of my experiences acting as my own lawyer
in the courts of New York, New Jersey, Illinois and Nevada.
Works in Progress/Scheduled Appearances:
Dangerous Players- a novel THE BRIDGES I'VE BURNED by Tonya Pinkins - a memoir of a life in the theater.
Audio Books:
1998 by Margaret Cuthbert; Simon & Schuster.
1997 ; Simon & Schuster.
1995 by William Bennett; Simon & Schuster.
1993 by William Bennett; Simon & Schuster.
1992 by Gloria Naylor; Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich.
Benefits, Lectures, Panels:?
2002:
2002
2002
2002
2001
2000
2000
2000, 1993
1998
1995
1994
1993
1992
1992 | YEAR REUNION MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG concert to benefit Music
Theater Works stariing Jason Alexander, Lonny Price, Giancarlo Esposito directed by
Kathleen Marshall- LaGuardia High School For The Performing Arts September 30,
2002
Lincoln Center Director’s Lab- panelist with Richard Thomas, Charlayne Woodard
and Caroline Lagerfelt, Pasadena Playhouse 2002
V-DAY APOLLO , starring Denyce Graves, Salma Hayek, S Epatha Merkerson,
Rosario Dawes and Sweet Honey in the Rock
STAGE LA benefit concert featuring the work of Johnny Mercer, starring Petula Clark, directed by David Galligan,Luckman Arts Complex
V DAY 2001; Madison Square Garden, Starring 72 Phenomenal Women,
including Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, and Glen Close.
U.C.S.D., San Diego; Guest Lecturer for graduate students.
CAMP BROADWAY, New York; Guest Lecturer.
AMERICAN THEATER WING; "Working in the Theater" - PBS.
THEATER COMMUNICATIONS GROUP CONVENTION, Goodman Theater, Chicago.
CIRCLE REPERTORY COMPANY BENEFIT, directed by Lanford Wilson;
The Supper Club, New York.
L.A.M.D.A. BENEFIT; Carnegie Hall, New York.
HALE HOUSE BENEFIT Honoring Lena Horne and Tony Bennett, New York.
AIDS WALK, New York.
CHARLIE ROSE; Panel with Frank Rich, George Wolfe, John Lahr. |
Community Service:
1994:
1995
1995
1992 | Operation Z (Zero Tolerance for violence against children) - Co-founder
volunteer advocate, consultant, researcher, writer/presenter.
Featured Lecture, "Getting the Word Out About Child Abuse" - U.S. Public
Health Service, Ocean City, Maryland.
World Women's Project, Beijing, China
Teacher/Presenter: Workshop on Child Custody Laws in the United States.
The Non-Traditional Casting Project - Board of Directors. |
Concerts/Cast Albums:
2005:
2002:
2002:
2002:
2001:
2001:
2000:
1997:
1993:
1993:
1992:
1985:
1984:
1981:
| Salute to Harold Arlen- Jazz at Lincoln Center -Allen Room DREAM the music of Johnny Mercer music director/orchestrator Ron Abel
2002-2003 Agape International Spiritual Center
Christ Universal Temple mistress of Ceremonies starring
Live @ Joe’s Pub Album- divinity to Infinity Records produced by John Barnes, engineered by John Brengman mastered at Innersound Studios Los Angeles
DREAM the music of John Mercer for Stage show La arranged by Ron Abel produced and directed by David Galligan
JOE’s PUB , New York Shakespeare Festival in Manhattan
THE WILD PARTY
PLAY ON
The Congressional Black Caucus, Washington, D.C.
LE CAV written and composed by Tonya Pinkins, New York
JELLY'S LAST JAM
DON'T TELL MAMA by Tonya Pinkins, New York
SWEETWATERS directed by James Lecesne, Written by George Wolfe, NY
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG |
Affiliations:
B.M.I. Songwriter
Actors' Equity Association
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Screen Actors Guild
Organization of Black Screenwriters
Independent Feature Project West
American Federation of Teachers
United Teachers of Los Angeles |
|
|
About Tonya