Charles Weldon

Charles Weldon (June 1, 1940 – December 7, 2018) was an actor, director, educator, singer, and songwriter. He was the artistic director of the Negro Ensemble Company for thirteen years. He was the co-founder of the Alumni of this company, and directed many of their productions. During his career he worked with Denzel Washington, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Alfre Woodard, Muhammad Ali, and Oscar Brown Jr.[1][2][3]

For the Canadian lawyer and politician, see Charles Wesley Weldon.
Charles Weldon
Born(1940-06-01)June 1, 1940
Wetumka, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedDecember 7, 2018(2018-12-07) (aged 78)
Occupation(s)Actor, artistic director
Spouses
  • Barbara Soletto
​
​
(m. 1980; div. 1984)​

Early years

Weldon's mother was Beatrice Jennings; his father was Roosevelt Weldon. The family moved from Wetumka, Oklahoma, to Bakersfield, California, when he was seven years old. As a young boy, he worked in the cotton fields of Bakersfield until the age of seventeen, when he joined a local doo-wop group. He graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1959. He was the brother of actress Ann Weldon, singer Maxine Weldon, and Mae Frances Weldon.[2]

As the lead singer of The Paradons, he co-wrote the hit record "Diamonds and Pearls" in 1960. The group appeared on the Dick Clark's American Bandstand television show and also toured with James Brown and Fats Domino. After the group disbanded, Weldon joined the soul group Blues for Sale.[4][5]

Career

Weldon began his acting career in 1969, with a role in the Oscar Brown Jr.'s musical Big-Time Buck White starring as Muhammad Ali. He joined the Negro Ensemble Company in 1970 and later became its artistic director in 2005.[6]

In 1973, he was a part of the Broadway cast of The River Niger, with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones. The River Niger was written by Joseph A. Walker (playwright) and won a Tony Award for best play.[7]

Weldon appeared in the original San Francisco production of Hair and directed and acted in many regional theaters. For the Denver Theater Center, he appeared in twelve productions. His last project was the short film Paris Blues in Harlem, which he co-produced and starred in with Nadhege Ptah and Michele Baldwin, who cast him in the project. Weldon starred in the role of the Jamaican Grim Reaper (the body-snatcher) in Sophia Romma's (playwright and Literary Manager of the Negro Ensemble Company from 2012) allegorical satire, The Blacklist at the 13th Street Repertory Company in 2016.

Onscreen

Negro Ensemble Company Productions

Negro Ensemble Company as Director

The Negro Ensemble Company Awards
  • 1982 -a Pulitzer Prize for A Soldier's Play
  • Two Tony Awards
  • Eleven Obies

Castillo Theater
  • 2011: Directed The Picture Box[9]
  • 2013: Directed Stealing Home about Jackie Robinson

As an actor

Filmography

Awards

References
  1. "Charles Weldon, Artistic Director of Negro Ensemble Company, Dies at 78". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  2. Genzlinger, Neil (20 December 2018). "Charles Weldon, Who Led the Negro Ensemble Company, Dies at 78". The New York Times. New York, New York City. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  3. Clement, Olivia (14 December 2018). "Actor, Director, and Artistic Leader Charles Weldon Dies at Age 78". Playbill. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  4. "Charles Weldon - The HistoryMakers". www.thehistorymakers.org. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  5. "Remembering NEC Artistic Director Charles Weldon, dead at 78". amsterdamnews.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  6. "Actor Charles Weldon, Director Of Negro Ensemble Company, Dead At 78". ArtsJournal. 18 December 2018. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  7. "Interview: Living Legend Charles Weldon, A.D. of The Negro Ensemble Company". StageBuddy.com. 29 October 2013. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  8. "All That Chat - CHARLES WELDON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF NEGRO ENSEMBLE COMPANY, DIES AT 78". www.talkinbroadway.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-10. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  9. Hill, Anthony D. (2018). Historical Dictionary of African American Theater (second ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 548. ISBN 978-1-5381-1728-6.
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