Duane Boutte

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Duane Boutté (born March 5, 1966) is an American actor, director, and composer known in film for his portrayal of "Bostonia" in Nigel Finch's Stonewall (1995), and as young "Bruce Nugent" in Rodney Evans' Brother to Brother (2004).[1] Boutté was in the original Broadway company of Parade,[2] and played "Enoch Snow, Jr." in the 1994 TONY Award-winning revival of Carousel.[3] His television acting credits date from the 1980s and include episodes of What's Happening Now,[4] A Year in the Life, Sex and the City, and the made-for-television movie The Drug Knot, directed by Happy Days star, Anson Williams.[1]

Early life

Duane Boutté was born and raised in Fresno, California where his mother (Velda Neal Boutte) taught piano. Boutté's father, Alfred Boutte, is an Air Force veteran and was regional administrator for California's Employment Development Department.[5][6] Boutté's parents were active in community programs, particularly those advancing opportunities for Fresno's black citizens,[7] and are honored in Fresno's African American History Museum.[6][8] Duane Boutté is the youngest of the couple's seven children.[9] Though coming to California from east Texas, Boutté's paternal family has its Creole roots in Louisiana.[10] Boutté began taking piano lessons from his mother when he was a toddler, and started composing music at age 4 that his mother would then transcribe.[11][12][13]

In 1979, Boutté's parents took him to Roger Rocka's Music Hall in Fresno to see Anything Goes performed by Good Company Players (GCP).[14] The musical was preceded by a 15-minute pre-show of song and dance by the troupe's "Junior Company." Boutté auditioned and was accepted into Junior Company later that year. Boutté, then 13, would perform six shows each week for the next three years, taking just two weeks off each year for family vacation. He calls GCP the place where he learned "important...life lessons [like] commitment, responsibility, showing up on time ready, really ready, to work."[15] In GCP's Junior Company, Boutté worked alongside youngsters who would later become his Broadway colleagues (Audra McDonald, Heidi Blickenstaff, Sharon Leal, Andrea Chamberlain, and Sarah Uriarte Berry).[16][17] Boutté also performed in plays and musicals with the senior company, mostly under the direction of company founder, Dan Pessano, and gained his first television experience in Junior Company's local Saturday morning variety shows, and holiday specials.[14]

Career

Duane Boutté's early career was managed by

Lincoln Center's TONY Award-winning revival of Carousel, and was one of Michael Hayden's "Billy Bigelow" understudies. Boutté returned to Broadway in 1999 in Parade.[3] He has performed numerous roles in classical and contemporary plays Off-Broadway and at leading regional theatres throughout the country.[14] In 2001, Boutté played "Orestes" in the Oresteia trilogy directed by Tony Taccone and Stephen Wadsworth, inaugurating Berkeley Repertory Theatre's new RODA Theatre.[19] Among his favorite roles performed, Boutté names "Mercutio" at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and opportunities to premiere works by playwrights like Terrence McNally, Eric Overmyer, Charles Randolph-Wright, and Robert O'Hara.[20] Of note among his premieres are Kirsten Childs' Off-Broadway musical The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin (Playwrights Horizons),[21] and Brian Freeman's play Civil Sex in which Boutté played civil rights activist Bayard Rustin (Berkeley Repertory Theatre).[22] In New York, Boutté has been listed among Vineyard Theatre's esteemed "Community of Artists."[23]

Boutté stars in two films that have become landmarks in gay cinema.[24][25] The first of these, Stonewall (1995), was directed by Nigel Finch (The Lost Language of Cranes).[26] In the film, Boutté plays "Bostonia," a fictional 'mother' of the Stonewall Inn, whose imagined, first punch incites this film's version of the 1969 Stonewall riots. Interview magazine profiled Boutté for his performance in the role, stating "a Stonewall star is born."[27] He was the first of the film's actors to come out as gay in an interview with 4-Front magazine that year.[28] Boutté later played "Bruce Nugent, young" in Rodney Evans' 2004 film Brother to Brother. The film, also starring Anthony Mackie and Roger Robinson, presents circa 1920's Bruce Nugent as an unapologetic homosexual accepted, and embraced by celebrated Harlem Renaissance figures like Langston Hughes, and Zora Neale Hurston.[29]

Boutté has directed plays and musicals in regional theatres and universities, and has collaborated as composer on new musicals including Lyin' Up a Breeze (presented by Good Company Players in 2002), and Caravaggio Chiaroscuro (performed at LaMama Etc. in 2007).[14][30] He has taught acting at Illinois State University),[10] National Theatre Institute, Ramapo College, and directed work at Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York.[11]

Feature films

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Stonewall Bostonia dir. Nigel Finch
2002 Checkout Almo Example
2004 Brother to Brother Bruce Nugent, young dir. Rodney Evans
2007 You Belong to Me Robert dir. Sam Zalutsky
2013 All is Bright Man 1 dir. Phil Morrison

Television

Year Title Role Episode Notes
1986
What's Happening Now
 Howard Season 2: "Picture Perfect," syndication dir. Gary Brown
1986
What's Happening Now
 Howard Season 2: "Shirley's Little Sister," syndication dir. Neema Barnette
1986 CBS Schoolbreak Special Leon "The Drug Knot" dir. Anson Williams
1986 The Drug Knot Leon CBS television movie dir. Anson Williams
1987 A Year in the Life Co-Star "student" "While Someone Else is Eating or Opening a Window," NBC Series dir. Rob Cohen
1998 Sex and the City Allanne "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", HBO Series dir. Matthew Harrison
2018 Unbrealable Kimmy Schmidt Principal Webb "kimmy disrupts a papadigm", netflix

Web series

Year Title Role Episode/Notes
2012-13 Child of the '70s Weezy Four episodes: Happy Birthday Darling, Kiki Lawrence, The Wedding, The Wedding Part 2

Broadway

Year Show Credit Notes
1994 Carousel (Broadway Revival) Enoch Snow Jr., and understudy Billy Bigelow Broadway: Lincoln Center, dir. Nicholas Hytner
1998 Parade Ensemble, and principle understudy Broadway: Lincoln Center, dir.
Hal Prince

Off-Broadway

Year Show Credit Notes
1992 A Midsummer Night's Dream national tour Francis Flute, Thisby The Acting Company, dir. Joe Dowling
1993 The Heliotrope Bouquet by Scott Joplin and Louis Chauvin Louis Chauvin Playwrights Horizons, dir. Joe Morton
1993 Motherlode Revolutionary Mabou Mines, workshop dir. John McGrath
1993 Christina Alberta's Father Teddy Vineyard Theatre (workshop), dir. Andre Ernotte
1999 Civil Sex Bayard Rustin Public Theatre "First Stages" production
2000 The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin Larry Grimble, and Keith Playwrights Horizons, dir. Wilfredo Medina, world premiere

Regional Stage

Year Show Role Notes
1990 Twelfth Night Fabian Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, dir. Richard E. T. Wright
1990 Cymbeline Philharmonus Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, dir. Laird Williamson
1990 The Merry Wives of Windsor Fenton Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, dir. Julian Lopez-Morillas
1990 Othello Clown Berkeley Shakespeare Festival, dir. Michael Addison
1990 The American Clock Rudy Denver Center Theatre Company, dir. Randal Myler
1991 Joe Turner's Come and Gone Jeremy Denver Center Theatre Company, dir. Israel Hicks
1991-92 A Midsummer Night's Dream national tour Francis Flute, Thisby The Acting Company, dir. Joe Dowling
1992 Riverview Robert Goodman Theatre, dir. Robert Falls
1993 Six Degrees of Separation Paul Dallas Theatre Center, dir. Stephen Wadsworth
1995 Insurrection Ron world Premiere - Columbia University, dir. Robert O'Hara
1995 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius La Jolla Playhouse, dir. Marion McClinton
1997 Civil Sex Bayard Rustin Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, D.C.
1998 Les Blancs Eric Center Stage, Baltimore, dir. Marion McClinton
1998
Afterplay
 Raziel Coconut Grove Playhouse, dir. Arthur Storch
1999 Blues for an Alabama Sky Guy Virginia Stage, dir. Aaron Cabell
2000 Civil Sex Bayard Rustin Berkeley Repertory Theatre, dir. Brian Freeman
2000 The Odyssey Neoman McCarter Theatre, dir. Mary Zimmerman
2000
The Odyssey
 Neoman Seattle Repertory Theatre, dir. Mary Zimmerman
2001 Oresteia Orestes Berkeley Repertory Theatre, dir. Tony Taccone and Stephen Wadsworth
2002 Hamlet Laertes Alabama Shakespeare Festival, dir. Ray Chambers
2002 Much Ado About Nothing Claudio Alabama Shakespeare Festival, dir. Kent Thompson
2003 Romeo and Juliet Mercutio Oregon Shakespeare Festival, dir. Loretta Greco
2003 Antony and Cleopatra Pompey, and Eros Oregon Shakespeare Festival, dir. Penny Metropulos
2004 The Story Neil Long Wharf Theatre, dir. Loretta Greco
2005 The Tempest Ferdinand Shakespeare Theatre (DC), dir. Kate Whoriskey
2005 Cuttin' Up Various Arena Stage, dir. Charles Randolph-Wright, world premiere
2006 Some Men Angel Eyes Philadelphia Theatre Company, dir. Philip Himberg, world premiere
2007 Cuttin' Up Various Alliance Theatre, dir. Kent Gash
2007 Caravaggio Chiaroscuro Caravaggio LaMama, Etc., dir. George Drance, premiere
2008 Macbeth Macduff Roust Theatre Company, dir. James Phillip Gates
2009 The Whipping Man John Penumbra Theatre, dir. Lou Bellamy
2010 On the Verge Grover, et al. Rep Stage (MD), dir. Jackson Phippin
2012 Shadows Ben Hoi Polloi, dir. Alec Duffy
2012 Fierce Love Various PomoAfroHomo anniversary tour (New Conservatory Theatre)
2012 All Hands Various Hoi Polloi, dir. Alec Duffy
2013 Wild With Happy Mo TheatreWorks, dir. Danny Scheie

Stage Direction

Year Show Notes
2008 LOL Algonquin Productions (NY)
2011 Stalag 17 Good Company Players (CA)
2012 Othello Stella Adler Studio (NY)
2013 Home Rep Stage (MD)
2014 The Merry Wives of Windsor Worcester Shakespeare Festival
2015 Cabaret Illinois State University
2015 Fences Illinois State University

Musical Compositions and Librettos

Year Show Credit Notes
1987 Bottom's Up: A Musicommedia Music - Duane Boutté, book - Ron Morasco, lyrics - Ron Mohasco, Dwight Smith, Paul Svendson, Luck Hari Produced at UCLA; winner ACTF and ASCAP awards 1988[31]
2002 Lyin' Up a Breeze Book and lyrics - Terry Miller, music - Duane Boutté Produced by Good Company Players, Second Space Theatre
2007 Caravaggio Chiaroscuro Book - Gian Marco Lo Forte, Music - Duane Boutté Produced by LaMama Etc. (2007)[32]
2011 Thanks to the Lighthouse Music and Libretto by Duane Boutté Presented 2011 and 2012 by NYC Parks and Recreation, and Historic House Trust

References

  1. ^ a b c "IMDB Actor Profile". IMDB.
  2. ISBN 1557834334
    .
  3. ^ a b "Playbill Person Profile". Playbill.com.
  4. ^ "TV actor profiles". tv.com.
  5. ^ Savage, Sam (July 27, 2008). "Boutte Touched a Chord in Many". The Fresno Bee.
  6. ^ a b Jenkins, Kyra (January 11–18, 2013). "Paving the Way, Leaving a Legacy: Honoring African-American Trailblazers". No. pages A1, A7. The California Advocate.
  7. ^ "Fresno Music Teacher Honored By Former Students". No. page 5. The California Advocate. March 16, 1994.
  8. ^ "Fresno African American Museum". Your Central Valley.
  9. ^ "Mr. & Mrs. Boutte Celebrate their 50th Anniversary". No. page 2. The California Advocate. June 20, 2003.
  10. ^ a b Jome, Eric (March 25, 2015). "Boutte play to explore questions of race and identity". Illinois State University News.
  11. ^ a b Dawkins, Sydney-Chanele (February 25, 2013). "Part 2, An Interview with Duane Boutte - the Director of Rep Stage's 'Home'". DC Metro.
  12. ^ a b Hale, David (July 16, 1989). "All jazzed up, Boutte returns to GCP stage, this time with his own songs". No. Spotlight section page F15. The Fresno Bee.
  13. ^ a b Duckett, Richard (July 17, 2014). "Worcester Shakespeare Festival Promises to be a Merry Time". Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
  14. ^ a b c d "GCP Actor Profile - Duane Boutte". GCPlayers. 2010-07-10.
  15. ^ Tehee, Joshua (June 2008). "Take a Bow: Good Company Players celebrates 35 years of community theater". No. pages 40–41. Imagine Fresno.
  16. ^ Gans, Andrew (July 11, 2008). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with [title of show]'s Heidi Blickenstaff Plus Heights and Pacific on CD". Playbill.
  17. ^ Fox, Jena Tesse. "[interview] With Pressgrove, Blackwell, Bell, and Blickenstaff". Broadway World. Retrieved September 26, 2008.
  18. ^ Holden, Stephen (April 8, 1992). "Theater in Review". New York Times.
  19. ^ Grant, John Angell (March 23, 2001). "The Oresteia Trilogy Makes Strong Showing". Berkeley Daily Planet.
  20. ^ "You Belong To Me cast biographies" (PDF). Mongrel Media - You Belong to Me.
  21. ISBN 0822218798
    .
  22. ^ Harvey, Dennis (January 30, 2000). "Review 'Civil Sex'". Variety.
  23. ^ "Our Artists". VineyardTheatre.org.
  24. ^ "Double identity: Actor speaks about accurately performing conflicted characters". No. page 7. The Battalion, Texas A&M University. October 9, 2009.
  25. ISBN 0739464574
    .
  26. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Stonewall Movie Review". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  27. ^ Moverman, Oren (July 1996). "Boutte Camp". Sandra J. Brant. Andy Warhol's Interview magazine.
  28. ^ White, Skip (June 12, 1996). "Stonewall: The Movie Actor Duane Boutte Takes Us Behind the Scenes". 4-Front Magazine. 1 (21): 73.
  29. ^ Ehrenstein, David (October 26, 2004). "Props to a Gay Hero: Duane Boutte Talks about Bringing the Harlem Renaissance to Life in the Person of out Poet Bruce Nugent". The Advocate (October 26, 2004): 56.
  30. ^ "Caravaggio Chiaroscuro". Theatermania.com.
  31. ^ "Directory of Contemporary Operas & Musical Theater Works & North American Premieres 1980 - 1989" (PDF). Central Opera Service. 30 (2–4): 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-23. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  32. ^ "Caravaggio Chiaroscuro". Lamama.org. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Duane_Boutte&oldid=1145599395"