Colman Jason Domingo

Photographed by Danny Clinch

Playwright Bio

From Colman Domingo's website

A 2021 Film Independent Spirit, NAACP, SAG and Critics Choice Award nominee for his work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Colman Domingo is a Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk, and Drama League Award nominated actor, director, writer and producer. Colman has recently received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is a Juilliard School Creative Associate and on faculty of the Yale School of Drama. He has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma and Nate Parker's Birth of a Nation. He stars in the upcoming films, Jordan Peele's Candyman and Janicza Bravo's Zola. He stars on AMC's Fear the Walking Dead for seven seasons and guest stars on HBO's Euphoria as Ali. He recurred on Steven Soderbergh's series The Knick. As a writer, his plays and musicals include Dot (Samuel French), Wild with Happy (Dramatist Play Service) and A Boy and His Soul (Oberon Books), the Tony Award nominated Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and Geffen Playhouse’s groundbreaking musical Light's Out: Nat King Cole. His plays have been produced by The Public Theater, Vineyard, La Jolla Playhouse, Humana Festival of New American Plays, New York Stage and Film, A.C.T, The Tricycle Theater in London, Brisbane Powerhouse in Australia, among others. He is the recipient of a Lucille Lortel, Obie, Audelco and GLAAD Award for his work. His production company, Edith Productions, has a first look deal with AMC Studios for which he is developing television, film, theater and animation projects. He is currently writing a new musical for The Young Vic in London/ Concord Music and hosting Season 3 of his series, Bottomless Brunch at Colman's across AMC platforms.

Highlighted Play: A Boy and His Soul

What is A Boy and His Soul?

A Boy and His Soul is a autobiographical solo performance that centers on themes of acceptance of who you are, grieving illness and death, and the pride it takes to tell your story. The play much like most of Domingo’s work explores these themes with a mix of comedy, love, and artistry. In addition to asking where do you get soul, the plays asking questions about what does soul mean to you and how do you run with the soul that you got?

Colman Domingo contemplating in the midst of his journey

Synopsis

"Where do you get your Soul?" - Colman Domingo

A Boy and His Soul follows the life of the young protagonist Jay as he figures out who he is in this coming of age tale set in West Philly. Throughout the play, we see how Jay's life has been developed by the presence of Soul music in his homes and how, in his words, these records became a part of his life. As life progresses, Jay finally understands why his parents would leave something as precious as the records of his childhood behind in their old home.

Colman Domingo explains the concept of being labeled an archivist and what that looks like for writing plays like A Boy and His Soul.

Discussion Questions

  1. When asked about having another actor play the lead in A Boy and His Soul, Colman Domingo said that he always envisioned someone else in the role because of his age and status as a well off professional theatre artist nowadays. What do you make of this decision to hand down this story?

  2. What do you think about Colman Domingo’s point about being a character actor and balancing the “fullness” of a story especially in a story like A Boy and His Soul?

  3. How did you feel about the incorporation of music in the show, the assertion to read it with music (and a kaftan) and do you feel like it changed the reading experience at all?

  4. How do you view archival writing and the responsibilities of an artist especially an artist that is writing from a position that is oftentimes ignored?

  5. Colman Domingo oftentimes brings in joy and some form of artistry, dance or music, into these stories of pain. How do you negotiate the tensions between these two, the two being pain on one hand and joy on the other?

Sample Activity: Developing Your Memory Play

Because A Boy and His Soul is a play about development and aspects of your development being key to that development, I believe that developing our own memory plays is the best way to work alongside this work.

  1. Identify a key element present in the development to who you are as a person right this minute. For an aid, Colman Domingo would identify this element as being Soul music. What would your element be?

  2. Once this element is identified, students would freewrite given some of the following prompts:

    1. Where was this element positioned very specifically? Is this positioning tangible? If so, where is this element?

    2. What else is present in the space? Are there people here? What do they look like?

    3. What did this element do? It's critical to think in active terms when defining this.

  3. Students will then begin to develop their own short scripts! From previous writings, students will have access to their own created characters, events, and settings.

  4. Students will continue developing their scripts to be stronger and stronger stories until we're collectively satisfied with the work that we have done.

  5. Congratulations! You're an archivist and a playwright all in one!

Annotated Plays

Dot


At it's core, Dot is a play about a family matriarch losing her memories to Alzherimer's. The play takes place around the holidays near the end, a time of familial gathering; however, Dotty's oldest daughter Shelly is looking to her siblings Donnie and Averie to alleviate some of the responsibilities of taking care of their mother. The play follows the chaos of family tensions during the holidays in the midst of memories that are slipping away.

Dot is a play that forces us to consider why we pick and choose what memories matter and what memories don't? In the conversation of being archivist, it's important to think of this play as a chronicling of memories.

The Vineyard Theatre's Production Starring Marjorie Johnson as Dotty

SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical

A Musical that was written collaboratively alongside the likes of Robert Cary and Des McAnuff, SUMMER follows the life of Donna Summer, an icon of the music industry specifically disco, funk and R&B. The musical follows her life through three specific points in her life and career with the initial point being Duckling Donna, then Disco Donna, where her career was just starting out, and finally Diva Donna where she was at the pinnacle of her career.

SUMMER fits perfectly with Coleman Domingo's archival manner of writing archival plays as it highlights the life of Donna Summer .


Comprehensive Work

As a Writer

Stage

  • The Brother(s) (2018)

  • SUMMER The Donna Summer Musical (2017)

  • Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole (2017)

  • Dot (2015)

  • Wild With Happy (2012)

  • A Boy and His Soul (2009)

  • Up Jumped Springtime (1998)


Television/Film

  • In The Middle of the Street


Dulé Hill & Gisela Adisa in “Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole” at the Geffen Playhouse (Photo by Jeff Lorch)

Colman Domingo on the Set of Fear the Walking Dead

As a Director

Stage

  • Guide for the Homesick by Ken Urban (2018)

  • Barbecue by Robert O’Hara (2016-2017)

  • Seven Guitars by August Wilson


Television/Film

  • Fear the Walking Dead

    • Weak (Season 4 Episode 12)

    • Humbug’s Gulch (Season 5 Episode 3)

    • Alaska (Season 6 Episode 3)

  • City on Fire by Cory Miller

As an Actor

Stage

  • A Raisin in the Sun (2019

  • The Scottsboro Boys (2014 - 2010) - Five

  • Nothing Personal (2014)

  • Guys and Dolls (2014)

  • A Boys and His Soul (2014 - 2005) - Five

  • Wild with happy (2013-2012) - Two

  • The Wiz (2009)

  • Coming Home (2009)

  • Passing Strange (2008 - 2006) - Three

  • Well (2007)

  • People’s Temple (2006 - 2005) - Two

  • All’s Well That Ends Well (2004)

  • Henry V (2003)

  • American Ma(u)l (2003)

  • Winter’s Tale (2002)

  • Haroun and the Sea of Stories (2002)

  • Midsummer Night’s Dream (2002 - 1997) - Two

  • A Christmas Carol (2001)

  • Two Gentlemen of Verona (2001 - 1999) - Two

  • Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000)

  • Sons of Don Juan (2000)

  • Taming of the Shrew (2000)

  • Fences (2000)

  • Romeo and Juliet (1999)

  • Up Jumped Springtime (1998)

  • Maleta Mulata (1998)

  • Blues for an Alabama Sky (1997)

  • Hurricane (1997)

  • Blade to the Heat (1997)

  • Journey to the West (1996)

  • Desk Set (1995)

  • Twelfth Night (1995)

  • Out of the Inkwell (1994)


Television/Film

  • North Star (2021)

  • The God Committee (2021)

  • Candyman (2021)

  • Without Remorse (2021)

  • Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

  • Zola (2020)

  • The Twilight Zone (2020)

  • Euphoria (2020-2019)

  • Lucy in the Sky (2019)

  • If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

  • American Dad (2018)

  • First Match (2018)

  • Assassination Nation (2018)

  • BoJack Horseman (2017)

  • Timeless (2017)

  • Culling Hens (2016)

  • Lucifer (2016)

  • Horace and Pete (2016)

  • The Birth of a Nation (2016)For Justice (2015)

  • The Knick (2015)

  • Beautiful Something (2015)

  • Selma (2014)

  • Time Out of Mind (2014)

  • A Long Walk (2013)

  • Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013, 2011)

  • Hair Brained (2013)

  • All Is Bright (2013)

  • 42 (2013)

  • Newlyweeds (2013)

  • Lincoln (2012)

  • Red Hook Summer (2012)

  • The Big Gay Sketch Show (2010, 2008)

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2010, 2006)

  • Great Performances (2009)

  • Law & Order (2008, 2004)

  • Miracle at St. Anna (2008)

  • Freedomland (2006)

  • Law & Order: Trial by Jury (2006)

  • Kung Phooey! (2003)

  • Desi’s Looking for a New Girl (2000)

  • Nash Bridges (2000,1997)

  • King of the Bingo Game (1999)

  • True Crime (1999)

  • Around the Fire (1998)

  • Timepiece (1995)


Additional Resources

Colman Domingo Describes Working with Chadwick Boseman in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom".

Colman Domingo Singing Luther Vandross's "A House is Not A Home".

Colman Domingo's "Bottomless Brunch at Colman's" featuring Jay Ellis and Anika Noni Rose.

Colman Domingo's "BottomlessBrunch at Colman's" featuring Jon Batiste and Janicza Bravo.

Bibliography

  • AMC. “Anika Noni Rose and Jay Ellis: Bottomless Brunch at Colman's.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 May 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j5NFW6qzRI.

  • AMC. “Jon Batiste and Janicza Bravo, Presented by Johnnie Walker Black Label.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Sept. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpL2tbzv5ow.

  • “Bio.” Colman Domingo, www.colmandomingo.com/bio.

  • Domingo, Colman. A Boy and His Soul. Oberon Books Ltd, 2013.

  • Floyd, Thomas. “Colman Domingo Lets Go of His Younger Self in Round House's 'A Boy and His Soul'.” The Washington Post, The Washington Post, 16 Mar. 2021, www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/colman-domingo-lets-go-of-his-younger-self-in-round-house-e2-80-99s-e2-80-98a-boy-and-his-soul-e2-80-99/ar-BB1eGhlH.

  • “Interview: Colman Domingo Is the Hardest Working Man in Show Business.” YouTube, YouTube, 12 Feb. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe9ZhXCB6xY.

  • Isherwood, Charles. “Review: In 'Dot,' a Fading Matriarch Brings a Family Together.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 24 Feb. 2016, www.nytimes.com/2016/02/24/theater/review-in-dot-a-fading-matriarch-brings-a-family-together.html.

  • JoesPubNY. “Colman Domingo - A House Is Not A Home - Joe's Pub (11.7.11).” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Oct. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHGs63yxQIQ.

  • NYSWritersInstitute. Colman Domingo at the NYS Writers Institute in 2013. YouTube, YouTube, 5 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM-YuPqJU2g.

  • The Kelly Clarkson Show. "Colman Domingo & Chadwick Boseman Sobbed On Set Of Netflix." YouTube, YouTube, 8 Dec. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPq7OHXFH0g.

  • Thielman, Sam. “A Boy and His Soul.” Variety, Variety, 25 Sept. 2009, variety.com/2009/legit/reviews/a-boy-and-his-soul-1200475870/.

  • Shuttleworth, Ian. “A Boy and His Soul, Tricycle Theatre, London – Review.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 11 Sept. 2013, www.ft.com/content/3f4785c2-1ac8-11e3-a605-00144feab7de.

  • “SUMMER Performs ‘Last Dance’ at The Tony Awards.” Performance by Ariana DeBose, et al., YouTube, YouTube, 11 June 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBNrEepd0_k.

  • TricycleTheatre. A Boy And His Soul by Colman Domingo. Performance by Coleman Domingo, YouTube, YouTube, 19 Aug. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fr1INFoswI.


Webpage complied by: Sondai NaNaBuluku(2021)