Shirley Jo Finney is a 2008/2009 Ovation Nominee for Best Director of a Play for her directing in STICK FLY at the Matrix Theatre Company. She was previously nominated for an Ovation for Best Director of a Play in 2005 for her directing in YELLOWMAN.
If you’d like to add a congratulatory message for Shirley Jo (or any other Nominee or Nominated Company), to the Ovation Awards commemorative poster (distributed to all nominees and all attendees at the Ceremony), click here!
As an Ovation Award Nominee, LA Stage asked Shirley the following questions:
What was the moment that first inspired you to pursue working in the theatre?
My first applause as an actress , fresheman year college IN WHITE AMERCIA
What do you feel made the production you were nominated for particularly successful, either overall or for you specifically?
The subject matter” A upperclass Black family” in Martha Vineyard an underserved story that I knew and grew up in. Plus the ensemble of actors.
What project or projects are you currently working on?I am working of Premiring a new Opera in South Africa
Developing new work about Women Circles
Looking to mount Broadway Production of COLORED GIRLS
What do you love most about theatre in Los Angeles?
The Intimate theater provides more opportunity for provocative work
What’s your dream project?
The Dream Project is the DREAM
Biography: Shirley Jo Finney (Director) is a award-winning director and actress and has directed all over the country including the McCarter Theater, Pasadena Playhouse, The Goodman Theater, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Playhouse Crossroads Theater Company, Actors’ Theater of Louisville Humana Festival, The Mark Taper Forum, The American College Theatre Festival and The Sundance Theatre Workshop. She recently directed the critically acclaimed East and West Coast Premier of STICKFLY by Lydia Diamond. The fall of 2005 she premiered a new play based on a children’s book written by Whoopi Goldberg at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C that toured nationally 2007. She has received the Los Angeles Theater Ovation Award nomination, The NAACP IMAGE WARD, Drama Critics, Backstage West and the LA Weekly award for Best Director for her Production of Yellow Man. Miss Finney was profiled and featured in INFINITE IN BLACK a national ad campaign for Infinite. She also has to her directing credit three Drama-Logue Awards and Chicago’s Jefferson Award. She has directed several episodes of the UPN series (Moesha) and has received the International Black Filmmakers Award for the Short film (Remember Me). Ms. Finney has directed for the Naked TV project for Fox Television. The Fall of 2010 she will direct the World premiere of a new Opera on the life of WINNIE MANDELA in Johannesburg South Africa and the Broadway revival of FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO CONSIDERED Suicide WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENOUGH. She is an alumnus of the American Film Institute’s Director Workshop for Women and holds an MFA degree from UCLA. Ms. Finney is also a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, the Director’s Guild, and the Screen Actor’s Guild. She has been Artist in Residence at Columbia College in Chicago, and a guest director and lecture at USC and UCLA.
For a full list of Ovation nominees, or for information about the Ovation Awards Ceremony on January 11th, click here!
