Roscoe Orman

Roscoe Orman

Born: June 11, 1944
in Bronx - New York - USA
While a student at New York's High School of Art and Design, Orman made his theatrical debut in the 1962 topical revue "If We Grow Up." He was an early member of the Free Southern Theater for two years in the mid-1960s and a founding member of Harlem, New York's New Lafayette Theatre, where he acted in and directed numerous plays. His many other stage appearances have included roles in "Julius Caesar" and "Coriolanus" at Joseph Papp's Public Theater, the Broadway production of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences", and Matt Robison's one-man play "The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit" at the American Place Theatre. Orman is the recipient of an Audelco Theatre Award and a five-time nominee.

He made his feature film debut in the title role of Universal Studios' 1974 drama, Willie Dynamite and has also appeared in such films as F/X, Striking Distance, New Jersey Drive, Follow That Bird, Twilight's Last Gleaming,The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and "Jeremy Fink And The Meaning of Life". His television credits include work on such shows as All My Children, Kojak, Sanford and Son, Cosby, Sex and the City, The Wire, andLaw & Order. He most recently appeared on episode 5 of the Garry Trudeau/Amazon streaming production Alpha House. In June 2006, Orman's memoir Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of An Actor was released. In September 2007, his children's book Ricky and Mobo was released. On October 8, 2008, he became the Chief Storyteller of AudibleKids.com (a service of Audible.com), a website for parents, teachers, and children to connect with one another and download and listen to audiobooks oniPods, MP3 players, and computers. In his role as Chief Storyteller, Orman narrates audiobooks and communicates with children, parents and teachers online and at community, literacy and library events, lectures and conferences, and via other media to encourage the use of audiobooks to help build an interest in reading and develop literacy skills. He commented on being Chief Storyteller on October 8, 2008: “When Sesame Streetbegan, television was a new and even controversial medium. But we showed how that technology, if used correctly, could become a powerful learning tool...I see the same kind of opportunity emerging today as parents and educators increasingly view iPods with skepticism. With AudibleKids.com, I believe we can help turn these players into magnificent storytellers, tools for learning, and a way to promote a lifelong love of stories and language.”

His new role was announced at a community event at The Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club in New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office commended Orman’s life work and willingness to embrace new technology to help encourage children to read books, by naming October 8, 2008 AudibleKids Day in New York City. Orman is a resident of New Jersey. He has four children, Rasheda, Solana, Miles, and Cheyenne. His son, Miles Orman, was on Sesame Street playing Gordon and Susan's adopted son Miles Robinson from the mid-1980s into the early 1990s.

Movies for Roscoe Orman...

Is That Black Enough for You?!?
Title: Is That Black Enough for You?!?
Character: Self
Released: October 9, 2022
Type: Movie
A look at the Black revolution in 1970s cinema, from genre films to social realism, from the making of new superstars to the craft of rising auteurs.
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Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Title: Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Character: Self
Released: April 23, 2021
Type: Movie
Take a stroll down Sesame Street and witness the birth of the most influential children's show in television history. From the iconic furry characters to the classic songs you know by heart, learn how a gang of visionary creators changed the world.
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The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special
Title: The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special
Character: Gordon
Released: October 15, 2020
Type: Movie
Everyone's favorite furry red monster is back with a brand-new special to teach us the importance of standing up and speaking out when people are treated unfairly.
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You Can't Take My Daughter
Title: You Can't Take My Daughter
Character: McDevitt
Released: February 15, 2020
Type: Movie
A young woman fights to keep her rapist from gaining custody of her daughter.
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Holiday Rush
Title: Holiday Rush
Character: Reginald Miller
Released: November 28, 2019
Type: Movie
After his sudden firing, a popular radio DJ moves in with his aunt, bringing along his four spoiled children, and a plan to return to the airwaves.
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Sesame Street: 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Title: Sesame Street: 50th Anniversary Celebration!
Character: Gordon
Released: November 9, 2019
Type: Movie
C is for Celebrate! Join host Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the residents of Sesame Street - human and monsters alike - to celebrate 50 years of learning, laughter, and love. Familiar felt faces like Roosevelt Franklin, Don Music, Sherlock Hemlock, and the Amazing Mumford join celebrity guests Norah Jones, Nile Rodgers, Sterling K. Brown, Meghan Trainor, Patti LaBelle, and Elvis Costello in this heartwarming special.
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All These Small Moments
Title: All These Small Moments
Character: Dr. Rogers
Released: January 17, 2019
Type: Movie
A teenage boy's infatuation with a woman he sees on the bus further complicates his already tumultuous adolescence.
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Title: New Amsterdam
Character: Rodger Conway
Released: September 25, 2018
Type: TV
The new medical director breaks the rules to heal the system at America's oldest public hospital. Max Goodwin sets out to tear up the bureaucracy and provide exceptional care, but the doctors and staff are not so sure he can succeed. They've heard this before. Not taking "no" for an answer, Dr. Goodwin's instinctive response to problems large and small is four simple words: "How can I help?" He has to disrupt the status quo and prove he'll stop at nothing to breathe new life into this underfunded and underappreciated hospital, returning it to the glory that put it on the map.
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I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Title: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Character: Self
Released: May 6, 2015
Type: Movie
A documentary about Caroll Spinney who has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969. At 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.
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Sesame Street: Elmo's Magic Numbers
Title: Sesame Street: Elmo's Magic Numbers
Character: Roscoe
Released: July 12, 2012
Type: Movie
When Max the Magician (guest star Will Arnett) comes to Sesame Street, Elmo and his friends are excited for a fun magic show! Max makes a scarf appear and cards disappear and Elmo, Big Bird and Rosita are amazed, but Chris points out what Max is really doing is subtraction and addition. This story highlights these math areas and is followed by the rest of a full hour episode complete with additional math and number films as well as favorite segments such as Elmo's World, Murray Had A Little Lamb and The Adventures of Bert and Ernie. Enjoy another full hour of a second math centric story "Hat Day" where Elmo and Zoe have a contest to see who can wear the most hats! Elmo and Zoe must count, estimate and even count by fives. This second story is also followed by the rest of a full hour episode including the spoof "30 Rocks" which has a counting theme. Elmo's World Hats and the classic Pinball Number Count series are bonus extras!
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Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Title: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
Character: Dr. Grady
Released: March 6, 2012
Type: Movie
Jeremy Fink and his best friend Lizzy must search high and low throughout the streets of Manhattan for clues to unlock the mysterious box he received a month before his birthday.
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Sesame Street: C Is for Cookie Monster
Title: Sesame Street: C Is for Cookie Monster
Released: October 19, 2010
Type: Movie
C is for Cookie and that's good enough for everyone! Celebrate all things Cookie Monster with this collection filled with sweet stories andscrumptious songs including favorites the "Cookiehood" story, Healthy Food Song with Wyclef Jean, the Cookie Tree story, and Cookie Monster's Sorting Song. Join Cookie in discovering that while having Food", and that it is important to eat healthy foods too. And just in time for the holidays, enjoy the special classic segment The Gingerbread Man Song. The Cookie Collection is a dozen delicious Cookie Monster favorites baked just for you!
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Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Title: Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days
Character: Gordon (uncredited) (archive footage)
Released: January 5, 2010
Type: Movie
A look back at 40 years of Seasame Street.
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Sesame Street: Bedtime with Elmo
Title: Sesame Street: Bedtime with Elmo
Character: Gordon Robinson
Released: June 1, 2009
Type: Movie
It's bedtime on Sesame Street! Just like all little kids, Elmo and Abby would rather make funny faces and sing silly songs than go to sleep
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30 Days
Title: 30 Days
Character: Jo Jo
Released: October 6, 2006
Type: Movie
Two star basketball players, Donnell, a black kid from the inner city high school, and Jason, a white kid from the affluent suburbs, are sentenced to 30 days of labour in each other's communities after a brawl between their two teams. When they return to their home turf, both see their new attitudes put to the test.
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Sesame Street: Elmo's Potty Time
Title: Sesame Street: Elmo's Potty Time
Character: Gordon
Released: August 22, 2006
Type: Movie
Join Elmo as he reminisces about his potty training journey and guides viewers as they embark on theirs. Elmo and his Sesame friends give helpful, confidence-building tips and encourage kids to listen to their bodies. Dance, sing and laugh along as kids learn healthy habits that will last a lifetime. Potty training can be fun! Create a positive potty time experience for your child with Elmo, Baby Bear, Grover, and other Sesame Street friends with Elmo's Potty Time! This amusing and song-filled DVD teaches children that everyone - mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, and even monsters - has to learn how to use the potty. Your child will learn that accidents are okay and that it takes time and practice before he can use the potty on his own. So dance, sing, and laugh as your child learns confidence-building skills and helpful healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
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Title: The Wire
Character: Off. Oscar Requer
Released: June 2, 2002
Type: TV
Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.
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American Pimp
Title: American Pimp
Character: Willie Dynamite
Released: June 9, 2000
Type: Movie
Street pimps, all of them African-American, discuss their lives and work: getting started, being flamboyant, pimping in various U.S. cities, bringing a woman into their group, taking a woman from another pimp, and the rules and regulations of pimping. The men are clear: it's about money.
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The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Title: The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Character: Gordon
Released: October 1, 1999
Type: Movie
Elmo loves his fuzzy, well-worn blue blanket more than anything in the whole world. However, when Elmo's blanket gets sucked through a colorful, swirling tunnel into Grouchland, the yuckiest place on earth, Elmo goes on an adventure to Grouchland to retrieve his prized possession.
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Title: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Character: Bryant Davis
Released: September 20, 1999
Type: TV
In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
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Title: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Character: Jerome Howard
Released: September 20, 1999
Type: TV
In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
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Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs
Title: Sesame Street: Kids' Favorite Songs
Character: Gordon
Released: March 9, 1999
Type: Movie
Elmo is trying to make a Top Ten Countdown list for the radio station, but everyone keeps trying to share their favorite song with him. Meanwhile, Telly can't decide on his favorite song -- is it "The Alphabet Song", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Baa Baa Black Sheep"?
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Title: Sex and the City
Character: Train Waiter
Released: June 6, 1998
Type: TV
Based on the bestselling book by Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City tells the story of four best friends, all single and in their late thirties, as they pursue their careers and talk about their sex lives, all while trying to survive the New York social scene. 
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Sesame Street: Elmopalooza!
Title: Sesame Street: Elmopalooza!
Character: Gordon
Released: February 20, 1998
Type: Movie
Jon Stewart hosts the Sesame Street Muppets' 30 year celebration, but Elmo steps in when things go awry.
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Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas
Title: Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas
Character: Gordon
Released: December 24, 1996
Type: Movie
Can there be such a thing as too much Christmas? Find out... when a magical Christmas wish is granted and Elmo gets to see what the world would be like if every day were Christmas! You'll enjoy lots of songs and holiday cheer with Elmo and his new friend Lightning, the reindeer, and discover for yourself why Christmas is best kept to one day a year!
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New Jersey Drive
Title: New Jersey Drive
Character: Judge
Released: April 19, 1995
Type: Movie
New Jersey Drive is a 1995 film about black youths in Newark, New Jersey, the unofficial "car theft capital of the world". Their favorite pastime is that of everybody in their neighborhood: stealing cars and joyriding. The trouble starts when they steal a police car and the cops launch a violent offensive that involves beating and even shooting suspects.
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Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
Title: Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
Character: Gordon
Released: May 18, 1994
Type: Movie
Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate Sesame Street's 25th anniversary. It was originally broadcast on May 18, 1994. The show featured Joe Pesci (as Ronald Grump), Corbin Bernsen (as real estate attorney, Arnie), Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman (as a Worm TV hosts), John Goodman (as Tough Guy Helpline operator), Charles Grodin (as Chaz), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (as reporter Kathie Lee Kathie), Rosie O'Donnell (as the Good Hope Fairy), Susan Sarandon (as Bitsy), Barbara Walters (reporting for 25/25), and Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford (as themselves).
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Striking Distance
Title: Striking Distance
Character: Sid
Released: September 17, 1993
Type: Movie
Coming from a police family, Tom Hardy ends up fighting his uncle after the murder of his father. Tom believes the killer is another cop, and goes on the record with his allegations. Demoted to water-way duty Tom, along with new partner Jo Christman, navigate the three rivers looking for clues and discovering bodies. This time the victims are women Tom knows, he must find the killer to prove his innocence.
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Title: Law & Order
Character: Trial Judge
Released: September 13, 1990
Type: TV
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
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Title: Law & Order
Character: Mr. Cameron
Released: September 13, 1990
Type: TV
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
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Title: Hard Time on Planet Earth
Character: Captain Ralston
Released: March 1, 1989
Type: TV
Hard Time on Planet Earth is an American science fiction series that aired on CBS as a midseason replacement in 1989. Airing for 13 episodes, the series starred Martin Kove and was created by Jim and John Thomas. Scheduled opposite NBC's Unsolved Mysteries and ABC's Growing Pains on Wednesdays, Hard Time on Planet Earth ranked 65th out of 81 programs upon its premiere. Ratings for the series never improved and the series was canceled by CBS in May 1989. The last episode aired on June 21, 1989.
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Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie: An All-Star Musical Special
Title: Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie: An All-Star Musical Special
Character: Gordon
Released: October 5, 1988
Type: Movie
The stars come out on Sesame Street in this fun-filled video featuring the show's most memorable moments. Sing-along in this star-studded celebration!
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Sesame Street: Sing Along
Title: Sesame Street: Sing Along
Character: Gordon
Released: January 1, 1987
Type: Movie
Your Sesame Street friends are getting together to sing their favorite songs, and they're inviting you to join all the fun. So sing along with Big Bird, Grover, Ernie, and special guest star Madeline Kahn as they perform Sesame Street favorites "Sing" and "Rubber Duckie," as well as all-time classics like "Old MacDonald," the "Alphabet Song," and more!
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F/X
Title: F/X
Character: Captain Wallenger
Released: February 7, 1986
Type: Movie
A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double cross him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.
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Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
Title: Sesame Street: Sleepytime Songs & Stories
Character: Gordon Robinson
Released: January 1, 1986
Type: Movie
Bedtime Stories & Songs is a 1986 Sesame Street direct-to-video compilation, released on VHS as part of the My Sesame Street Home Video label. The video was re-released with different segments under the new title of Sleepytime Songs & Stories in 1996, and on DVD in 2005. The framing story involves Big Bird speaking to the audience, offering advice on the best ways to fall asleep. A Honker and her baby stop by, and Telly arrives for a sleepover with heaps of cuddly toys that he couldn't sleep without. Buster the Horse demonstrates how to fall asleep standing up and Susan comments from her apartment window.
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Follow That Bird
Title: Follow That Bird
Character: Gordon
Released: August 2, 1985
Type: Movie
Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
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Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Title: Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Character: Gordon
Released: November 16, 1983
Type: Movie
As the Metropolitan Museum of Art closes, Big Bird decides to leave his Sesame Street friends behind in search of Snuffy. Once locked inside for the night, educational hilarity ensues as Big Bird and Snuffy team up to help a small Egyptian boy solve a riddle - as the rest of the cast searches for their big, yellow friend.
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Coriolanus
Title: Coriolanus
Character: Adrian
Released: March 31, 1979
Type: Movie
A video recording of a New York Shakespeare Festival 1979 stage production of Coriolanus with an all-black and Hispanic cast. Producer Joseph Papp intended to provide professional opportunities for actors of minority ethnic backgrounds. A banished hero of Rome allies with a sworn enemy to take his revenge on the city.
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A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
Title: A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
Character: Gordon (uncredited)
Released: March 1, 1979
Type: Movie
Sesame Street celebrated its 10th anniversary in the spring of 1979 with a half-hour PBS special hosted by James Earl Jones titled A Walking Tour of Sesame Street. The special aired on individual PBS stations at various times between March and May 1979. (Muppet Wiki)
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Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Title: Christmas Eve on Sesame Street
Character: Gordon
Released: December 3, 1978
Type: Movie
Big Bird worries when Oscar tells him that if Santa Claus can't fit down the chimney on Christmas Eve, nobody would get presents.
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Willie Dynamite
Title: Willie Dynamite
Character: Willie
Released: January 23, 1974
Type: Movie
Willie Dynamite is a pimp who operates in New York City. Willie was a big success as a pimp, but now, just as fast as he rose to the top, he has hit bottom. A former prostitute who has become a social worker tries to get Willie to clean up his life while it is still possible.
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Title: Kojak
Character: Lieutenant Connors
Released: October 24, 1973
Type: TV
A bald, lollipop sucking police detective with a fiery righteous attitude battles crime in New York City.
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Title: Sanford and Son
Released: January 14, 1972
Type: TV
The misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son.
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Title: Sesame Street
Character: Gordon Robinson
Released: November 10, 1969
Type: TV
On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.
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Harlem Theater
Title: Harlem Theater
Released: April 22, 1969
Type: Movie
HARLEM, USA: in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s murder, German filmmaker Klaus Wildenhahn turned his 16mm camera on the New Lafayette Theatre as its players rehearsed scenes, ran public workshops and conducted exercises in uptown Manhattan. New Lafayette (or NLT) had been founded by actor-director Robert Macbeth the previous year, with the aim of producing theater for black people, by black people, to reflect the experiences and vernacular of the Harlem community. Within the Black Arts Movement, NLT would become a significant institution: it published the journal Black Theatre, and employed a host of talents – including the Black Panthers’ Minister of Culture, Ed Bullins, and the great pianist Junior Mance, both of whom appear in Wildenhahn’s film as resident collaborators.