Langston Hughes was one of the most distinctive and versatile of 20th-century writers. He wrote in many genres—including prose, drama, essays and journalism—but is best known for his poetry, in which he disregarded classical forms in favor of the rhythms of blues and jazz and the dialect of African American speech that he heard around him. A prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s, he was called the Poet Laureate of Harlem. Beginning in the 1930s, Hughes became increasingly active in social and political causes, particularly the plight of poor and homeless black people who suffered during the Great Depression. He used much of his poetry as a vehicle for social justice in the United States. In the 1940s, he began writing a newspaper column for the Chicago Defender and created what became his most famous literary character: Simple (also called Jesse B. Semple), who expressed the thoughts of ordinary young black Americans. The character become famous and figured in many of the short stories he would go on to write over the next several decades. His collections of poetry include The Weary Blues, The Negro Mother and Other Dramatic Recitations, The Dream Keeper, Shakespeare in Harlem, Fields of Wonder, One Way Ticket, The First Book of Jazz, Tambourines to Glory and Selected Poems. In addition to writing or editing numerous books about the African American experience, he was the author of three autobiographies: Not Without Laughter (1930); The Big Sea (1940); I Wonder As I Wander (1956). Black Nativity: A Gospel Song Play, one of many works he wrote for the stage, was written in 1961. Hughes died of cancer on May 22, 1967. His residence at 20 East 127th Street in Harlem, New York has been given landmark status by the New York City Preservation Commission. East 127th Street has been renamed “Langston Hughes Place.”

Jacqueline Moscou is artistic director of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center and an affiliate artist at INTIMAN. In addition to the annual production of Black Nativity, her credits here include Intimate Apparel, Crowns, A Raisin in the Sun, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, Having Our Say, Flyin’ West and From the Mississippi Delta. A veteran performer on most Seattle stages, Ms. Moscou shifted her focus to directing in 1989. Recent credits include The Glass Menagerie with an all African-American cast at Milwaukee Rep. For Langston Hughes, she has directed Death of a Salesman with an all African-American cast, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill and Kim Yvonne Euell’s Diva Daughters Dupree; she has also established many programs including a hip-hop series called “Back to Its Roots,” an African American film festival, and a fundraiser illuminating the works of Langston Hughes. Other credits include the world premiere of her own play Keepers of the Dream, Lady Day… and the long-running production of A…My Name Is Still Alice (all at The Group Theatre); Spunk and Takunda (Seattle Rep); Blues for an Alabama Sky (ACT); Dragonwings (Northwest Asian Theatre); Agnes of God (Cornish College); Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe and Valley Song (Portland Center Stage). Her projects have been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; Seattle, King County, and Washington State Arts Commissions; and Washington and Oregon Commission for the Humanities. She currently teaches at Freehold Theatre.

Kabby Mitchell III is a choreographer, educator and performer whose signature choreography has been seen in Black Nativity since 2000. He has danced with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nederlands Dance Theater, Civic Light Opera, Oakland Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Kabby has been a dance instructor for more than 20 years, having taught ballet, modern jazz and Haitian dance at schools and dance academies in Seattle, Iowa and Mexico. In Seattle, he has worked with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Cornish College of the Arts, University of Washington and Ewajo Dance Workshop. He is currently on the faculty at the Evergreen State College in Olympia. His local choreography credits include work with Spectrum Dance Theater, The Group, Seattle Rep, Bathhouse Theatre, ACT and Civic Light Opera. Recent credits include Sankofa Theatre's A Maafa Experience at the Moore Theatre; Flight, directed by Valerie Curtis-Newton at ACT; Hamlet X, directed by Tyrone Brown; and his own piece, Beautiful/Ugly, at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. He frequently contributes his time to help programs that support the development of young urban dancers, and is a supporter of local art and theatre companies whose goals are to serve the underserved community through the arts. As part of PNB’s 1^st Celebrate Seattle Festival, Kabby was honored for his significant contributions to the Northwest dance scene and for being the first African American to dance with PNB. Also this year, he was featured on the cover of ColorsNW magazine’s August issue and Arthur Mitchell, the director of Dance Theatre of Harlem, asked him to revise the school’s curriculum.

Reverend Dr. Samuel B. McKinney became Pastor of Seattle’s historic Mount Zion Baptist Church in 1958. He became Pastor Emeritus in 1998, having established it as one of the largest and most powerful African-ancestored worship communities in the area. A graduate of the Cleveland Public Schools, Dr. McKinney entered Morehouse College but was drafted into the U.S. Army. After his honorable discharge he reentered Morehouse College in 1947, graduating in 1949. His portrait is permanently displayed in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Memorial Chapel as a tribute to his spiritual and social leadership. Dr. McKinney received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Ebony magazine has named him one of the nation’s top pastors and Newsweek has called him an enduring power in Seattle’s African American community. He is the recipient of numerous awards and citations, including the 1999 Citizen of the Year Award from the National Association of Social Workers. In June 1999, Seattle University conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. He has mentored candidates for the Doctor of Ministry Degree at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. In 2003, he served as King Neptune LIV, the 54^th ruler of Seafair. In 2004, the Pastor’s Conference of Hampton University named Dr. McKinney a “Living Legend.” In 2006, he received the prestigious CNN Trumpet Awards’ Spiritual Enlightenment Award and the Samuel DeWitt Procter Conference on Ministry “How Beautiful Are Their Feet” Award. Among the greatest honors conferred on Dr. McKinney was INTIMAN’s request that he participate in Black Nativity, and it has been his joy to be part of the production since it began in 1998. Louise J. McKinney is his bride of more than 54 years and they have two daughters and a son-in-law, Dr. Lora-Ellen McKinney and Rhoda and Sam H. Jones Jr., and a grandson, Kent McKinney Jones.

Pastor Patrinell Wright is a director, pastor, singer, actress, musician and musical director. She has performed in Black Nativity: A Gospel Song Play, as well as created the musical direction and arrangements, since its first production in 1998. Also at INTIMAN, she was music director for Crowns. She appeared in, and was the musical director for, the Group Theatre’s production of Keepers of the Dream. She wrote and co-directed the world premiere of He Would Not Come Down at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Pastor Wright founded the Total Experience Gospel Choir, which began as a class in gospel music at Seattle’s Franklin High School in 1973 and celebrated its 34^th anniversary this year. Since its inception the Choir has grown to enjoy national and international prominence, performing in 38 states, 22 countries and 5 continents. It has been the recipient of more than 150 awards and recognitions. Pastor Wright has also been singled out for a number of awards, including the Governor’s Ethnic Heritage Award, the Women in Communications Award, the Jefferson Award, the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, Mahalia Jackson Community Service Award and Edwin Pratt Award from the Urban League of Greater Seattle. In 2002, she was the first African American SeaFair Queen in Washington State. In 2005 she received the first Living Legend Award from Seattle Center and, with the TEGC, was given the Soul of Seattle Arts Award by Mayor Greg Nickels at Bumbershoot. In 2005, Pastor Wright released two CD’s: Old School with Joy (with the Total Experience Gospel Choir) and her first solo recording, I’m So Glad! A Spiritual Reunion of Drums & Voice. Since Hurricane Katrina, Pastor Wright has dedicated many hours for hurricane relief work. For her efforts, ABC News World News Tonight named her “Person of the Week” in May 2007. Pastor Wright and the Total Experience Gospel Choir recently returned from South Korea where they participated in the Busan International Choral Festival and Competition. The Choir was awarded Second Place in this worldwide event. www.totalexperiencegospelchoir.org.