Kenny Leon
Kenny Leon
Kenny Leon is an American director notable for his work on Broadway and in regional theater. Robert Simonson of Playbill described Leon as "arguably Broadway's leading African-American director." In 2014, he won the Tony Award for Best Director of a Play for "A Raisin in the Sun."...
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth10 February 1956
dear friend generation great greatest lost seen writer
We've lost a great writer, I think the greatest writer that our generation has seen and I've lost a dear, dear friend and collaborator,
came expecting generation people puffy talking
By the end of the run, people were talking about the play, ... A young generation of people came to that play expecting to see Puffy or Clair Huxtable. When it was over, people were saying, 'Who is Lorraine Hansberry? I want to read her. I want to know who she is.'
bring casting generation people puffy somebody
In casting somebody like Puffy and having him bring in all his fans, you get the people in the hip-hop generation to see the play,
coming effort energy gave health impressed spite
The same energy and effort he gave to 'Jitney,' 'Fences' and 'Gem of the Ocean' is here. In spite of his health issues, he's coming at it like a fighter, a soldier. I have been impressed and amazed.
coming effort energy gave health impressed spite
The same energy and effort he gave to 'Jitney,' 'Fences' and 'Gem of the Ocean,' is here. In spite of his health issues, he's coming at it like a fighter, a soldier. I have been impressed and amazed.
power strength theater
encompasses all the strength and power that theater has to offer.
honest love
I don't have to make up what I love about Atlanta, ... This is going to be genuine, honest and heartfelt.
absolutely family feels greater height painful people taken
The play has taken on a greater height of spirituality. He didn't make it. That was a painful thing, but it feels absolutely right that we are here. His family is here. His people are here.
air alive audience breathing chance filter immediate love screen seem watching work
When you have a chance to work on something that's live and the audience is breathing the same air as the performers, it makes the work seem more immediate and more alive than if we were watching it through a screen or a filter or a box. I love that.
audience connecting human immensely joy understanding watching work
To see the joy of an audience watching the work and connecting to the work and understanding something about our connectedness to each other as human beings, that's immensely gratifying.
blacks engaging ultimate whites
It's the ultimate universally engaging play, ... It was important to have 20-year-olds and 80-year-olds in the audience, to have blacks and whites in the audience.
african champion defined
I want to be a champion of African American work, but I'm defined by more than race,
august emotional relationship talking thinking
To try talking about my relationship with August and the contributions of that man, I get very emotional just thinking about it,
committed definitely five looking shut six studying totally
Absolutely, ... but he'd have to be totally committed and shut down the businesses. He couldn't do anything else. He'd have to say, 'For these five or six months, I have to be about looking at and studying August's work.' It would definitely take some work, but I think he could do it.