Patricia White, the long-time company manager of Woodie King, Jr.’s New Federal Theatre and a well-known figure in New York City’s Black Theatre community, died August 10 after a brief illness. She had been hospitalized and released for physical therapy to a nursing home, where she died. She was 77.
“Pat,” as she was widely called, was well-known throughout the theater community as a director, mentor, producer, backstage coordinator, grant writer, box office manager and administrator. Her comprehensive understanding of the theatrical process helped shape countless productions and careers.
Born in Brooklyn in 1948 to Martin White, a Naval Officer, and Adelle Randolph White, White was seven when her father died and the family moved to Louisiana and Mississippi, eventually returning to New York. She went on to City University of New York, where she earned a B.A. in French Literature and was deeply enamored with French writers and philosophers, becoming an avid reader of Charles Baudelaire, Albert Camus, and Frantz Fanon.
Her theater career began at 17 with an internship at The American Place Theatre, where she worked under noted producers Wynn Handman and Julia Miles on productions of soon-to-be-noted Black playwrights. These included Ed Bullins (The Electronic NI… and others), Phillip Hayes Dean (The Stye of the Blind Pig), Charlie Russell (Five On The Black Hand Side, directed by Dr. Barbara Ann Teer) and more.
At the Public Theatre, she ushered for the historic Pulitzer Prize-winning No Place To Be Somebody by Charles Gordone and later became Assistant House Manager.
White served as Project Coordinator for the Frank Silvera Writer Workshop off and on for 13 years, working with such remarkable talents as Amiri Baraka, Kimako Baraka, Amina Baraka, A. Marcus Hemphill (Inacent Black and The Five Brothers) and Richard Wesley (The Last Street Play, later named The Mighty Gents on Broadway).
A natural mentor and advocate, she became a guiding light for emerging voices in theater, dedicating herself to expanding the reach of diverse narratives and elevating underrepresented voices.
In December 1994 her ultimate mentor, Woodie King, Jr., hired her as Company Manager of New Federal Theatre. Among her most-noted projects, she managed the successful 20th Anniversary production of Ntozake Shange’s for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf. For over 35 years, she wore many hats at the Federal: director, mentor, producer, backstage coordinator, grant writer, box office manager and administrator. Her comprehensive understanding of the theatrical process helped shape countless productions and careers.
Her career directing projects included The Sty Of The Blind Pig in the Federal’s historic 2010 Great Black Plays & Playwrights Series, Marvin Schidkarut’s Root of Aggression, Fallen Angel at the Producers Club for Under the Spell Productions, and a reading of Cesi Davidson’s Eric and Theresa Deconstructed with Kene Holliday. She staged Tess Onweme’s The Missing Face in the Federal’s African Project in the 2000-2001 season.
She began her directing career at the Frank Silvera Writers Workshop with the world premiere of Linty Lucy by Rudy Gray, followed by What Ever Happened to Amos ‘n Andy? by William Electric Black and Toussaint: Angel Warrior of Haiti starring Audelco Awards winners Antonio Fargas and Tony Chase. In 2009, she was nominated for a Vivian Robinson AUDELCO Pioneer Award for Innovation in Directing and Sound Design, and won in the categories of Directing and Management for Black Theater.
A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, August 18 at 6:30 PM at the SGI-USA, 7 East 15 Street, New York, NY 10003. It will be livestreamed on Zoom. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made to New Federal Theatre.
The post Patricia White Dies: Longtime Champion Of New York’s Black Theatre Who Worked With Amiri Baraka, Woody King Jr., Ntozake Shange Was 77 appeared first on Deadline.
