Attention, Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe, Madison Jones and DreamWorks!

The grassroots campaign to get actor Antonio D. Charity a chance to audition for the lead role in DreamWorks' upcoming biopic of Martin Luther King is gaining momentum. On the eve of Charity's first preview performance in the Off Broadway play, Black Angels Over Tuskegee, fans and friends alike have been coming forward to attest to the actor's abilities, and his track record of portraying the civil rights legend in productions dating back to his high school days in Virginia.

The have appeared, among other places, on this site as well as the Facebook group that's pushing for producers Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones to give Antonio D. Charity a chance:

Antonio is one of the few actors that gives me goosebumps while performing. He is an amazing talent, friend and person, and will be outstanding in this portrayal!

I have to agree that Antonio D. Charity is the right actor to play the role of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He's has been portraying Dr. King since high school. There is no doubt that Antonio would be the most believable actor in that role.

I had the privilege of watching Antonio play Dr. King on stage when we were in high school together! Although I was just a girl, I still think of the moment where I saw Dr. King come alive before me every time I hear the "I Have a Dream Speech"! He is the only man for that role!

Antonio Charity is an amazing talent and the producers would be amiss if he was not seriously considered for this role.

As the director for ORANGE ALERT and the pilot for DISCOVER ME!, for which I was blessed to to have Antonio perform, I say Antonio would be a brilliant choice to play MLK.

I saw this great actor live on stage. When he transformed himself into Dr. King, I really thought he was Dr. King. Yes! Everyone Join this group!

Wassup Antonio D. Charity....I am 100% supportive of you at least getting the opportunity to audition for the MLK film. You seem very accomplished and driven so you should be given the opportunity to go for the film. I will keep my fingers and toes crossed for you.

I believe that Antonio would be an excellent choice to portray Dr. King, Antonio is a strong young man with a voice that can penetrate the mountain top. Dr. King had that same type of voice that when he spoke, all of your attention was focused on him, Antonio can generate that same type of atmosphere.

Sometimes there comes an actor, taking us all by surprise, and is the only true choice to play a MAJOR/ Leading role. antonio d.charity embodies such an actor.

You were born to play that role!

I saw you play MLK and you were terrific.

Antonio is definitely a contender and strong competition for this role. He is an intense, committed actor with extraordinary depth who can make this piece a beautifully memorable one.

Antonio D. Charity should have his dream come true. He's a wonderful actor and friend and I've seen him brilliantly portray Dr. King, as well as seeing him in many other plays.

I have seen Antonio D. Charity play Dr. King in "The Meeting" and he is amazing... but more than that, Antonio is an amazing man, who spends his time helping others and dedicates his life to issues that would make Dr. King proud... I've seen Antonio, in numerous plays both in New York & LA and he always impresses with his talent, and keen intelligence. Someone at Dreamworks please contact him.

Black Angels Over Tuskegee begins previews at the St. Luke's Theatre on West 46th Street on Friday January 29th. Opening night is February 15th, and the show is set to run through March 28th.

Actor wants to play Martin Luther King

While news that DreamWorks is developing a biopic of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King has led to speculation about who'll star as the civil rights hero, there are already stirrings among the Hollywood acting community that a relative unknown would be perfect in the role.

Antonio D. Charity has appeared in television dramas like The Shield, Nip/Tuck, The Wire and the Law & Order franchises, and won raves in theatre showcases in Los Angeles, most notably in performances of The Meeting, Jeff Stetson's imagining of a meeting between King and Malcolm X.

Antonio D. Charity starred as King in the play.

The last time there was serious talk of a King flick, Eddie Murphy was a top contender for the role, but that was before his plans to star in August Wilson's Fences fell through and he resigned himself to family comedies. Placing a relative unknown with such a connection to King would make the film all the more moving.

Antonio D. Charity (right) as the Rev. Dr. King in The Meeting

Charity has exoressed real interest in the role, and is looking for a way to get the attention of producers Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones.

Already there's a Facebook campaign to give Charity an audition and a chance at the role.

We say there's nothing to lose by getting him in-- and so much to gain!

For the producers' convenience, we include Charity's bio below.

Meanwhile, we'll keep you posted.

Antonio D. Charity is from Surry County, VA. This youngest of twelve children moved to Los Angeles in December 2004 and has been impressing agents, casting directors and filmmakers with his amazing talent.

Antonio was first inspired to pursue acting professionally by the late Wiley Powell, Jr. after he joined the Surry County High School Repertory Club. Under Mr. Powell’s direction, the SCHS Repertory Club’s one-act plays won numerous awards at district, regional and state competitions. For two consecutive summers Antonio was awarded a scholarship from the Surry County School Board to attend “Firespark School For Gifted Students In The Arts” at Brenau College in Gainesville, Ga.

After graduating from Surry High Antonio moved to Washington, D.C. where he enrolled in Howard University’s College of Fine Arts as a theatre major. There he was taught by Al Freeman, Jr., best known for his portrayal of Elijah Muhammad in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”. Besides teaching him in class, Mr. Freeman also directed Antonio in Richard Wesley’s The Sirens and in Oak and Ivy, in which Antonio portrayed the famous poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. The next four years of studying at Howard and working in D.C. and the surrounding areas laid the artistic foundation for the rest of his career.

It laid the business and professional foundation as well because it was during this time that Antonio became a member of the Screen Actors Guild. While still enrolled at Howard Antonio was hired as a guest star on an episode of “Homicide: Life On The Street”, in which he worked with Emmy Award winner Andre Braugher, Clark Johnson and with Daniel Baldwin. He also worked on several industrials, commercials and stage plays.

He transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond for one year and then returned to Howard. While living in Richmond and studying theatre at VCU he met a very well respected theatre director named Ernie McClintock. Ernie was a teacher, coach and friend. Antonio studied and worked with him for twelve years.

Antonio graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and moved to New York.

Over the next nine years he worked in a variety of television shows, films, commercials and stage plays. He appeared in “It Runs In The Family” with Michael and Kirk Douglas, “The Salon” with Vivica A. Fox, “Something The Lord Made” with Mos Def, “The Corner” with Charles Dutton and Khandi Alexander, “The Wire” with Wood Harris, “Cry Wolf” with Jon Bon Jovi and Gary Cole, “All My Children” with Kelly Ripa, “As The World Turns”, “Law & Order” and several other television and film productions. But mostly he “cut his teeth” on the New York stage in numerous community theatre, regional theatre, off Broadway, and off-off Broadway productions.

In December of 2004 he relocated to Los Angeles. He has worked on television shows such as “Charmed” with Alyssa Milano, the series “Nip/Tuck”, “House”, True Blood”, Numb3rs”, “The Shield” and several others. He has also performed in a made for television movie starring Florence Henderson of “The Brady Bunch” called “For Heaven’s Sake” and the feature films “Che Guevara” and “Over Her Dead Body”, starring Eva Longoria.

Currently he is performing in the Off Broadway hit “Black Angels Over Tuskegee”. In 2009 “Black Angels Over Tuskegee” won an NAACP Theatre Award for Best Ensemble. He also portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the play “The Meetng” by Jeff Stetson. The play was performed at various locations in and around Los Angeles. His star is shining bright, and his reputation as an amazing new talent is growing.

Keep your eyes open and you will see him over and over again. The best is yet to come!

MLK movie dream: A message from Iraq

"It appears that Hollywood is stuck
on using the same old faces
time and time again and then wonder
why a particular movie flopped;
when in reality a new name,
a new face could and probably would
have produced a better result.
Well, Hollywood,
here is an opportunity to do just that!"

The Facebook group dedicated to giving actor Antonio D. Charity a chance to audition for the lead role in DreamWorks' upcoming biopic of Martin Luther King has tripled in membership in recent days, and as we've shown you, many people are looking to producers Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones to do the right thing and give Antonio D. Charity a chance to realize a dream he's had since he first portrayed Dr. King on the high school stage.

But tucked away among the Facebook comments and notes of encouragement and support is testimony from a man who might know better than anyone just how good Antonio D. Charity will be in the role:

"Tonio's acting abilities, stage performances, and work ethics speaks for themselves. I want to speak from another point of view about Hollywood itself. There are a lot of fine young talented actors and actresses that are waiting to be heard and seen and they should be given the opportunity to do so. But it appears that Hollywood is stuck on using the same old faces time and time again and then wonder why a particular movie flopped; when in reality a new name, a new face could and probably would have produced a better result.

"Well, Hollywood, here is an opportunity to do just that. Give the role of Dr. Martin Luther King to Antonio D. Charity and you'll never regret it.

"I know, he's my baby brother.

"Respectfully,

"LTC Herbert N. Charity
Beladiyat, IRAQ"

The play, Black Angels Over Tuskegee, starring Antonio D. Charity in an ensemble of great actors, begins previews at the St. Luke's Theatre on West 46th Street tomorrow night, Friday January 29th. Opening night is February 15th, and the show is set to run through March 28th.

The Man Who Would Be Martin Luther King: Antonio D. Charity opens Off Broadway, is reviewed by The New York Times

Actor Antonio D. Charity, the gifted and charismatic performer who wants a chance to portray Martin Luther King on film, gets first mention in the reviews for Black Angels Over Tuskegee, the new play about trailblazing African-American World War II fighter pilots that opened Off Broadway this week.

The New York Times leads the praise of this "uplifting, inspirational melodrama" this morning, concluding: "By the end, when the pilots overcame their obstacles and finally got up into the air to the swelling of music, tears welled up in my eyes ..."


The hosannas were echoed by the influential and world-syndicated Associated Press:

"This powerful play... is well-staged and the characters so realistic that the audience can't help but be thoroughly moved by the time the narrator reaches the end of the journal."

The Times notes that "the folksy narrator (Antonio D. Charity)... provides historical context and dictionary definitions of racism and segregation. 'You see, I believe in the principle that all men are created equal,' he says at the start."


That portion of Charity's performance could show scouts for the MLK biopic now being developed by Steve Spielberg and DreamWorks that the actor wants to star in. His quest to have his work seen by Spielberg and fellow producers Suzanne dePasse and Madison Jones has turned into a national crusade to give a deserving actor the role he has been preparing for his entire life (Charity has portrayed the Rev. Dr. King onstage off-Broadway and as far back as high school!).


Hundreds of friends and colleagues and fans have joined the Facebook group, "Antonio D. Charity should play Martin Luther King in DreamWorks' biopic," and many more have added their support.

As Antonio tells his supporters on the Facebook page:

"Thanks again everybody! I'm just looking for an opportunity to audition for the role, to compete for it. That's all I need."

“Black Angels Over Tuskegee” is playing at St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton; (212) 239-6200, www.telecharge.com.

Kingmaker? New rave for Antonio D. Charity

Add the influential NYTheatre.com to the tastemakers giving rave reviews to Antonio D. Charity, the young, veteran TV, movie and stage actor who wants a chance to portray Martin Luther King on film, and the ensemble cast of Black Angels Over Tuskegee.

Black Angels is the new play about trailblazing African-American World War II fighter pilots that opened days ago Off Broadway.

NY Theatre's Ivana Cullinan writes:

"Black Angels Over Tuskegee is a deeply wonderful production that takes an important historical event, presents it in a very intimate manner, and demands a personal response to its characters... The sheer depth and emotional power of this cast creates an authentically fulfilling and glorious night of theatre that honors an impressive group of men, the Tuskegee Airmen.

"...The narrator... a father talking to his son; as the character, Antonio Charity does some fine story work throughout..."

The play, and Charity, made international news when The New York Times praised the play, concluding: "By the end, when the pilots overcame their obstacles and finally got up into the air to the swelling of music, tears welled up in my eyes ..."

An Associated Press review raved that "this powerful play... is well-staged and the characters so realistic that the audience can't help but be thoroughly moved by the time the narrator reaches the end of the journal."

Hundreds of people have joined the Facebook group, "Antonio D. Charity should play Martin Luther King in DreamWorks' biopic," in support of Charitys quest to get an audition for the lead role int he film being produced by Steven Spielberg, Suzanne dePasse and Madison Jones.

“Black Angels Over Tuskegee” is playing at St. Luke’s Theater, 308 West 46th Street, Clinton; (212) 239-6200, www.telecharge.com.

The Man Who Would Be King: DreamWorks has Antonio D. Charity's acting reel; now will they give him an audition?

The dream of actor Antonio D. Charity to portray Martin Luther King Jr. on film is now in the hands of Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones.

The young, veteran actor, who has portrayed the Rev. Dr. King in numerous productions dating back to high school, has sent his acting reel and resume to DreamWorks SKG, Spielberg's company that is developing and producing the biopic.


And is it such a wild idea to cast a relative unknown in such a high-profile role?

Not at all, as evidenced by recent news that David Oyelowo, a British actior unknown here, has been signed to play Dr. King in Lee Daniels' film, Selma. This picture will track the 1965 civil rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, and in true Hollywood tradition, focus on a white guy-- in this case Hugh Jackman as a racist sheriff.

We have detailed the grassroots movement to give Antonio D. Charity an audition for the role of his dreams.

It's now up to Steven Spielberg and his fellow producers to do the right thing.

Antonio can now be seen Off-Broadway in the production of Black Angels Over Tuskegee, which received rave reviews and whose run has been extended through May at the St. Luke's Theatre in midtown Manhattan.

Onstage: See the man who would be King

We told you about Antonio D. Charity, the up-and-coming actor who wants to play the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in the DreamWorks motion picture that's now in development. That's a tall order for a relatively unknown actor, but Charity definitely has the chops, as he's demonstrated on prestige television shows like The Wire, and the play, The Meeting, in which he portrayed Martin Luther King.

Now there's a chance for scouts from the DreamWorks project to see Antonio D. Charity at work, onstage.

Antonio is headed to New York City, where he's starring in the Off Broadway play, Black Angels Over Tuskegee, about six black pilots during World War II.


The play runs at the St. Luke's Theatre in the heart of the Theatre District at 308 West 46th Street.

Antonio has the lowdown:

"I'm in a play called 'Black Angels Over Tuskegee', written and directed by Layon Gray. It is produced by The Black Gents Of Hollywood, a theatre company based in Los Angeles. 'Black Angels Over Tuskegee' is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. It is this generation's 'A Soldier's Play.' It chronicles experience of 6 black pilots during WWII. We won an NAACP Theatre Award for "Best Ensemble". We performed at the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina, onboard the Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage celebrity cruise, at the Tuskegee Airmen National Convention in Las Vegas, at the California African American Museum and at several other venues.

"Now we are headed to New York for an Off Broadway run at St. Luke's Theatre on 46th Street. This is my return to the New York stage after a 5-year adventure in Los Angeles. I last performed Off Broadway in Playwrights Horizons' 2004 production of Lynne Nottage's 'Fabulation'. 'Black Angels Over Tuskegee' begins previews on Friday January 29th. Opening night is February 15th, and the show closes March 28th. Please spread the word and plan to be there. This is an amazing play! It is a must see. I hope you can make it. Thanks for your consideration."

As for Antonio's ambitions to play Martin Luther King?

He tells supporters on the growing Facebook site:

"Thank you all. I just wanna shot, a chance to walk in the room and show 'em what I'm workin' with."

Sweet Charity! Spook Night star is scary good

They say Los Angeles ain't a theatre town, but theatres in LA are the places where you get to see familiar actors flex their chops and up and comers make enough of an impression to get noticed and become the next star on a show like Lost or Heroes. Or Cavemen. The latest attention-getter is the provocative Spook Night, a show that explores rage, revenge and racism backstage at an LA comedy club (that's where you go to find future sitcom stars) on black comedy night-- and contemporary black comedy through the eyes of its tragic progenitor, vaudevillian Bert Williams (the first black superstar, widely forgotten because he performed in blackface, and perfected the shiftless stereotype).

Our pal Muriel saw Spook Night and sent us this review:

Spook Night a hilarious yet truly serious play, written and directed by TV writer T. Faye Griffen (whose credits include In Living Color, Steve Harvey's Big Times, Roseanne and more). The play will have you splitting your seams with laughter, while using up your kleenex as you wipe away the tears. Whatever emotional buttons get pushed, it's a must see! Never once does Ms. Griffen take the easy or predictable way out.

While the play deals on one level with the struggle and racism African-American comedians have faced over time, it never loses an hysterically funny beat, even when dealing with the play's main character, Benjamin, an overly serious, angry comic who's lost his sense of humor.

Beautifully played by an amazingly intense Antonio D. Charity (above right, Benjamin is the vertical split behind the comedy: the rage, sadness and depression. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, even while he quietly studied his "jokes" amidst the hilarious antics of the other comics. Audiences might recognize Mr. Charity from his performances on shows like The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Charmed, Law and Order, The Wire, and All My Children (recently he's shot the films Hydra, Marco Polo and Over My Dead Body). But all that he's done before, pales before this performance. He is star quality material and Hollywood should-- and will-- take notice!

Mr. Charity's anger is offset by the hilarious comedy of Mike Esteme, as Smokey Mo, known for his continuing role on Everybody Hates Chris. Other standouts include Bill Lee Brown as Old Dog and Andy Fields, as a new-to-L.A., offbeat, unaware white comic who doesn't realize it's "Spook Night" (the racist term for the one night a week that African American comics were allowed to perform at comedy clubs).

The set by Joel Daavid was excellent. A credit, not usually mentioned in a review is that of the casting director, but casting director Tige Charity of C&C Casting deserves special notice for bringing such wonderful talent to Ms. Griffen.

Thanks, Muriel! Spook Night runs Thursdays through Sundays until September 30th at the Lillian Theatre, l076 N. Lillian Way, on Hollywood's Theatre Row. (Hollywood has a Theatre Row?) Click here for ticket information.

The New 30 hits stride in new Hollywood preview

No one was bold enough to show proof of Botox treatment to get free admission into the latest preview of The New 30 at the Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip last night, but that had to be the only disappointment, as another star-studded crowd of Hollywood notables and celebs laughed, cheered and begged for mercy as veteran comic Alan Bursky ripped through Eric Cohen's solo performance piece.

In what was only the second outing for the hilarious play about Baby Boomers and their attempts to cheat Father Time and beat the reaper, Bursky, who'd been honing his chops in at Harrah's Improv in Vegas this month, demonstrated an ease with and control of the material that reminded the audience they were in the presence of a pro as he sold the each and every line throughout.


Bursky's revival and career resurgence with this tailor-made role is a delight to the Hollywood comedy crowd and the stuff of Hollywood lore-- and even greater in light of the Hollywood lore Bursky has already contributed to in his fifty-something-- make that 30 something-- years (watch this space for our exclusive interview about his wild ride).

Cohen's play itself is tailor-made for a wide audience, as it tackles subjects that touch and unite us all (Hollywood narcissism, middle-aged vanity and America's obsession with youth are united in an overriding fear of death) with refreshing laughs that make the uncomfortable truths go down easily.

And with our pals at Frozen Pictures doing triple duty as technical crew, stage hands and gladhanding show business players, the show went off with nary a hitch-- and any hitches in this latest, fleshed-out version of The New 30 only drew more laughs and applause from an appreciative audience that included boldface names like comedy superstar Drew Carey, TV legend Chris Bearde, Laugh Factory owner and comedy guru Jamie Masada, actor Antonio D. Charity, producer Yasmin Brennan and Hollywood blogger Luis Calvo.


The group is still polishing this gem, so it's obvious there are even more new laughs to come . The show's got one more Laugh Factory preview on Thursday, November 6th. The Botox offer still applies.

Alan Bursky & Eric Cohen shortly before the show

Exclusive! The playwright watches his work: