Danai Gurira to Be Honored at Steppenwolf’s 10th Annual Women in the Arts
Updated October 29th*
Most of us know Danai Gurira as Michonne from The Walking Dead or as General Okoye in Black Panther, but did you know she’s also an award winning playwright?
Gurira’s works include In the Continuum (OBIE Award, Outer Critics Award, Helen Hayes Award), Eclipsed (Tony Award Nomination: Best Play; NAACP Award; Helen Hayes Award: Best New Play; Connecticut’s Critics Circle Award: Outstanding Production of a Play), and The Convert (six Ovation Awards, Los Angeles Outer Critics Award). She is a recipient of the Sam Norkin Award at the 2016 Drama Desk Awards, a Whiting Award, a Hodder Fellow, and has been commissioned by Yale Rep, Center Theatre Group, Playwrights Horizons and the Royal Court.
Her latest accomplishment, she is the honoree at the 10th annual Steppenwolf Women in the Arts fundraising luncheon on December 10, 2018. According to Broadway World, she is acknowledged as “one of today’s freshest voices for the stage.”
This celebratory luncheon began as a way to bring together Chicago’s business and civic communities in celebration of innovators across the performing arts. The proceeds go to aid education and arts in the Chicago area. Previous honorees include ensemble members Joan Allen, Laurie Metcalf and Martha Plimpton, along with Claire Danes, Juliette Lewis, Julianna Margulies, Margo Martindale, Julianne Nicholson, Mary-Louise Parker, Sarah Paulson and Phylicia Rashad.
Gurira’s play, Familiar, will have its Chicago premiere this fall at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Congratulations Danai!
When Beth “grows up” she wants to see her creations appear on the screen and stage. In her free time, Beth blogs about her love of craft beer and writes screenplays. She received her bachelors in journalism from Youngstown State and received her masters in communication from The University of Akron. She is honored to be a part of the FanFest family.
