The Donald Windham Sandy M. Campbell Literature Prizes
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (2023) Winner
Dominique Morisseau
ドミニーク・モリソー
Dominique Morisseau
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1978-03-13 （Detroit, Michigan, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Detroit (born and raised) → New York (professional base)
Career
- Occupations
- Playwright, Actor, Television writer
- Active Years
- 2000-
- Influenced By
- August Wilson, Katori Hall, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (director)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan, Ann Arbor | School of Fine Arts (BFA) | Acting | BFA | 1996–2000 | United States |
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
School of Fine Arts (BFA)
/ Acting
Degree:
BFA
Period:
1996–2000
Year of Graduation:
2000
Country:
United States
Received a BFA in Acting; began writing plays while at university.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Jane Chambers Playwriting Award (Honoree) | — | — | Association for Theatre in Higher Education (Jane Chambers) | オナリー（選出） |
| — | NAACP Image Award | — | — | NAACP | 受賞 (2回) |
| 2012 | Primus Prize (Honoree) | Follow Me To Nellie's | — | American Theatre Critics Association | オナリー |
| — | Stavis Playwriting Award | — | — | Unknown | 受賞 |
| 2014 | Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History | Detroit '67 | — | Columbia University (Kennedy Prize) | 受賞 |
| 2015 | Steinberg Playwright Award | — | — | American Theatre (Steinberg) | 受賞 |
| 2016 | Obie Award (Special Citation: Collaboration) | Skeleton Crew | — | The Village Voice / Obie Awards | 受賞（特別表彰） |
| 2018 | MacArthur Fellowship | — | — | MacArthur Foundation | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Drama) | — | — | Windham–Campbell Prizes | 受賞 |
Jane Chambers Playwriting Award (Honoree)
Organization:
Association for Theatre in Higher Education (Jane Chambers)
Result:
オナリー（選出）
NAACP Image Award
Organization:
NAACP
Result:
受賞 (2回)
Primus Prize (Honoree)
2012
Work:
Follow Me To Nellie's
Organization:
American Theatre Critics Association
Result:
オナリー
Stavis Playwriting Award
Organization:
Unknown
Result:
受賞
Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History
2014
Work:
Detroit '67
Organization:
Columbia University (Kennedy Prize)
Result:
受賞
Steinberg Playwright Award
2015
Organization:
American Theatre (Steinberg)
Result:
受賞
Obie Award (Special Citation: Collaboration)
2016
Work:
Skeleton Crew
Organization:
The Village Voice / Obie Awards
Result:
受賞（特別表彰）
MacArthur Fellowship
2018
Organization:
MacArthur Foundation
Result:
受賞
Windham–Campbell Literature Prize (Drama)
2023
Organization:
Windham–Campbell Prizes
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Follow Me To Nellie's
2011 PlayA play addressing love and segregation; premiered at Premiere Stages.
RaceLoveCommunity
Detroit '67
2013 PlaySet around the 1967 Detroit uprising, the play explores racial tension and economic instability through compelling characters.
Race relationsEconomic instabilityCommunity
Blood at the Root
2014 PlayA play that deals with racism and tensions arising within a school and its community.
RacismEducationCommunity
Paradise Blue
2015 Play (music-infused)Following former musician Blue as he faces the moral dilemma of selling his beloved jazz club; music deeply influences the drama.
Music and expressionChange and lossCommunity
Skeleton Crew
2016 PlayRevolves around auto-plant workers confronting looming unemployment and plant closure; acclaimed for collaborative production.
LaborEconomic declineFriendship and solidarity
Pipeline
2017 PlayDeals with education, race, parent-child relationships, and structural issues produced by school and society.
Education systemRaceParent-child relationship
Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (book by Dominique Morisseau)
2019 Musical (book)Wrote the book for the jukebox musical about The Temptations; opened on Broadway in 2019.
Music historyBlack cultureSuccess and sacrifice
Adaptations
- [Musical (stage)] Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations / Des McAnuff (2019)
Bibliography
- Follow Me To Nellie's (2011)
- Detroit '67 (2013)
- Sunset Baby (2013)
- Night Vision (2013)
- Blood at the Root (2014)
- Paradise Blue (2015)
- Skeleton Crew (2016)
- Pipeline (2017)
- Mud Row (2019)
- Confederates (2022)
- Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations (book, Broadway 2019)
Adaptations
- Ain't Too Proud (Broadway musical book)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Music-infused rhythmic dialogueSocial realismCharacter-driven drama
- Recurring Motifs
- Detroit and communityLabor and economic precarityMusic (jazz, blues, hip-hop)Race and identity
Legacy
Morisseau is highly regarded in contemporary American theater for plays rooted in Detroit life and music-infused drama. Her Broadway and television work, along with recognition such as the MacArthur Fellowship, mark her as an influential playwright who has expanded representation of Black community stories.
In Popular Culture
- Influenced stage and popular culture through writing the book for a major Broadway musical.
Quotes
-
It's a resource and clue to my work, and music plays a unifier among cultural barriers.
Source: BroadwayWorld interview (2015)
Trivia
- Received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2018.
- Wrote a three-play cycle called The Detroit Project (Detroit '67, Paradise Blue, Skeleton Crew).
- Wrote the book for the Broadway jukebox musical Ain't Too Proud.