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The Bay Area Repertory Theater got its start in 2004 by founders (left to right) James Brooks, Winston Young and Michael Lange. The theater company may be "new born", but its founding fathers are talented, well-established, respected and seasoned actors, writers and directors who are dedicated to their craft and the goal of raising artistic awareness in the community and the Bay Area.
Michael Lange, who presently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Bay ART is a multi-talented playwright, actor, producer and director. As an actor, Lange has over 500 performances nationwide performing several major speeches of Malcolm X (Message to the Grass Roots, Ballot or the Bullet, The Last Message) and received critical acclaim for a performance for PBS. Lange has also done over 150 performances of Jeff Stetson's play "The Meeting" between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. Lange wrote "Prophet Nat", a musical documentary based on the true events of the Southampton County (Virginia) revolt led by a slave-prophet in 1831. Lange directed and acted in Elder's "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men", for which he won Best Supporting Actor (2001), and directed James Redman's "The Old Settler", which won Best Production (2003) both achievements being conferred at the Arts Awards Ceremony in Fairfield, California. Recently, Lange performed in Victor Lawhorn's 1920's musical murder mystery, "Murder Dressed in Satin", as Police Sgt. Archie Hawkins. Mr. Lange, who is also an accomplished musician and songwriter, comes from an exceptionally talented family. His father, Ted Lange Jr., was a Shakespearian actor, and his mother, Jerri Lange, is a former broadcaster and author of a newly released biography based upon her experiences in the media. Mr. Lange's older brother, Ted Lange III, is a director and television actor, perhaps best known for his role as Issac the bartender on the ABC-TV series "The Love Boat".
James Brooks, Vice President of the Board of Directors, is no stranger to stage or screen. James Brooks is an Actor, Director, and Drama teacher/coach with over 25 years of experience. His most recent productions are August Wilson's play "Fences" in the lead role of Troy Maxson at the College of Marin. The role of Bono at Theater Works in Palo Alto, CA. At The African American Shakespeare Company he played the role of Senior Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet" and William Henry Brown in "The African Company Presents - Richard The II.". When the newly re-organized Oakland Ensemble Theater was making its come-back, he anchored the lead role in "Split Second", "Homer G And The Rhapsodies at the Lorraine Hansberry Theater In San Francisco. Over the past 10 years James has performed in over 100 stage productions. Jeff Stetson's award winning play "The Meeting" in the role of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some of James film and TV credits are "Casa Hollywood" a Cannes Film Festival entry, "Sweet Potato Ride" Sundance Film Festival entry. Several episodes of "Nash Bridges", "The Game" with Michael Douglas, "EDTV" with Matthew McConaughey, and "The Blues", a film he directed which has been shown in film festivals around the country. James studied Directing at San Francisco State University and has taught drama at Elementary, Junior and High School. James dedicates all his artistic work to his family the driving force in his life.
Winston Young, formerly served as Artistic Director for Bay ART. For the past thirty years his theater credits have become a testimony to his love of the craft. He has been in over 35 theater productions, from New York to California, from director to actor, from stage hand to stage designer. During his sojourn, his training has come from some of the best directors and playwrights in the country such as Ron Stacker Thompson, founder of the Oakland Ensemble Theater, award-winning playwright Charles Gordone, critically acclaimed director Ed Cambridge, Lincoln Kilpatrick, actor/director Ted Lange, and poet Maya Angelou. Young's credits include touring with two national award-winning plays, "Ain't Suppose To Die A Natural Death" and "No Place To Be Somebody". He has appeared in such plays as "Night of the Iguana", "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men", "Split Second" and "We Own The Night". Mr. Young is equally at home as a director having directed "Prophet Nat", "What the Wine Sellers Buy" and "Look What A Wonder", to name a few. Mr. Young is also past president of the Oakland Ensemble Theater (OET), and a past Vice President of the Mira Theater Guild. He was, also, an original member of OET when it was in its infancy at Merritt College in Oakland in 1973. Mr. Young, also, worked as a director for KQED's television hit "Up and Coming".
Bay ART Board of Directors.
To contact a board member, click-on their name.
Bay ART is actively connected with the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts (formerly the Alice Arts Center) in Oakland, CA, the location of their home office. True to their bylaws, over the past two years Bay ART has produced several stage plays of local playwrights and co-produced many productions in association with the City of Oakland's Office of Parks and Recreation.
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