Levy Lee Simon

Levy Lee Simon is an American playwright, actor, director and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his trilogy about the struggle for Haitian independence, For the Love of Freedom.

Levy Lee Simon
BornLevy Simon, Jr.
Harlem, New York
OccupationAuthor, playwright, screenwriter,actor, director, producer
Alma materUniversity of Iowa
Cheyney State College

Biography

Levy "Lee" Simon, Jr. was born in Harlem, New York.[1] While an undergraduate at Cheyney State College in Pennsylvania in the early 1980s, Levy first became seriously interested in the theatre. His girlfriend had purchased tickets for them to see For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. "The Lady in Red", a character in the play, performed a piece about Toussaint L'Ouverture, which inspired Simon to learn more about the Haitian revolt. This eventually led to the development of his trilogy For the Love of Freedom.[2] Other plays by Simon include: The Bow-Wow Club and God, the Crackhouse, and the Devil, Same Train, The Stuttering Preacher, The Guest at Central Park West, Caseload, Pitbulls and Daffodils, The Last Revolutionary, 'The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel and, Gentrified - Metaphor of the Drums..[3]

His screenplay adaptation of The Bow-Wow Club was optioned by Fox Searchlight and Spirit Dance, Forest Whitaker's production company.[1]

He also was cast as Junior in the Arena Stage production of Before It Hits Home.

Selected plays

See Doollee.com:[4]

  • The Bow-Wow Club
  • Caseload
  • For the Love of Freedom
  • God, the Crackhouse and the Devil
  • The Guest at Central Park West'
  • Same Train
  • The Stuttering Preacher
  • Smell the Power
  • Pitbulls and Daffodils
  • The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel
  • The Last Revolutionary
  • Gentrified - Metaphor of the Drums
  • Fractured

Honors and awards
  • 1999: Kennedy Center/ACTF Lorraine Hansberry Award - The Bow-Wow Club[1][3]
  • 2001: NAACP Best Playwright nomination - For the Love of Freedom, Part I: Toussaint - the Soul - Rise and Revolution
  • 2003: Ovation Award nomination - For the Love of Freedom, Part II: Dessalines - The Heart - Blood and Liberation
  • 2006: NAACP Theatre Award nomination, "Best Playwright" - For the Love of Freedom, Part III: Christophe - the Spirit - Passion and Glory[1]
  • 2007: Audelco Award, Best Playwright for The Guest at Central Park West, Best Dramatic Production of the Year and Best Playwright.

References
  1. Levy Lee Simon. "Levy Lee Simon, Award Winning Playwright" (Interview: Transcript). Interviewed by Dana Roc. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
  2. "Levy Lee Simon's Haitian Revolution Trilogy". United States: NPR. 2004-11-26. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  3. "Levy "Lee" Simon, Jr". United States: Dramatic Publishing. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  4. "Levy Lee Simon", Doollee.com.


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