Oz Scott

Oz Scott is a director of theater, film and television. His Off-Broadway credits include: MODERATION (2009),RESURRECTION (2008-2009), THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL (2008), MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN (2007), AS REAPER IN SUMMER GRAIN (2004), THE FALLS (1999), MOTHER'S DAY (1999),LAST STAND OF THE COMANCHE RIDERS (1999), FREE LESSONS (1999), CYCLONE (1999), SLUT AND SLEDGE (1998), THE NUT HOUSE (1997), DREAMS THE SILENT DEAD (1997), TALENTED TENTH (1997), THE OLD SETTLER (1996), THE GUY UPSTAIRS (1995), FLORIDA (1995), THE LIGHT OUTSIDE (1994), OWNING THE KNUCKLEBALL (1994), MY SON SUSIE (1994), RETURN TO GUAYAQUIL (1994),KILLING JAZZ (1993), LOCKED DOORS AND LIGHTNING BUGS (1993), MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS (1993), WHITE OAK (1993), AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PARADER WITHOUT A PERMIT (1992), EMPATHY, INC. (1992), VOODOO NICKEL (1992), FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA (1991), FENCES (1991), TRINITY (1987), SWEET TALK (1983), GOING DOWN (1983), THREE FOR A FULL MOON [and] BOCAS (1982), STARS IN YOUR EYES (1982), SPELL #7 (1979), WHERE THE MISSISSIPPI MEETS THE AMAZON(1979), TWIN-BIT GARDENS (1979), BEGGAR’S CHOICE (1978), TAKE A GIANT STEP (1978-79),MAHALIA (1977-78), THE BLOODRITE (1978), PHOTOGRAPH: A STUDY OF CRUELTY (1977), FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF (1975-76), SUN ALWAYS SHINES FOR THE COOL (1976), THE TAKING OF MISS JANIE (1975), BLACK PICTURE SHOW(1975), MOONLIGHT ARMS/THE DARK TOWER (1975), LAMENT FOR RASTAFARI (1974), BURGHERS OF CALAIS (1974), SECTION D (1974), SWEET TALK (1974), LES FEMMES NOIRES (1974), MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR (1974), NONGOGO (1978), ODE TO CHARLIE PARKER (1973), OFFERING FOR NIGHTWORLD (1973), SISTER SONJI (1973), THE PAST IS THE PAST (1973), LA GENTE (1973), CRUCIFICADO (1972).

He has worked with many companies such as Back Alley Theater, D.C., The Billie Holliday Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Art, Lincoln Center, The Living Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Negro Ensemble Company, The New Federal Theatre, and The New York Shakespeare Festival.

Oz Scott is the son of a military chaplain who was stationed abroad and who built churches for civilians in Korea. As such, Scott saw the world from a young age and continued to do so in the selection of colleges he chose to attend. His mother, a teacher, and father exposed him to arts and education early. At New York University, he attended classes in both the theater and film departments, made films and directed plays. Advised to stay in the theater department, ‘it will take a lifetime to learn about actors,’ the techniques of filmmaking not so long. Scott also stage managed and his first professional jobs as one were at Arena Stage, New York Shakespeare Festival (1973-1976), among others. He became the accomplished ‘does everything well’ go-to person. Eventually Scott began producing and directing his own projects. He worked with Playwright Edgar Nkosi White doing many of his shows, and Ntozake Shange with whom he workshopped, and directed FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF Off-Off-Broadway, then at The Public and then on Broadway. He was the Associate Artistic Director of the Negro Ensemble Company from 2008 to 2010, Artistic Director for The Eugene O'Neill Conference for Film and Television Writing in 2005, Board Member Stage Directors And Choreographers Society from 2000 to 2018, and a board member for The Directors Guild of America. Among Scott’s awards are: Audelco Pioneer Award – 2020; Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center Lifetime Achievement Award – 2019; Nominated for the DGA Award for The Cheetah Girls; NAACP Image Award – Bustin’ Loose; Village Voice OBIE Awards for Off-Broadway, 1977; and the Drama Desk Award 1977 - “FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF.” Scott’s extensive career as a Television Series Director/Producer, and Executive Producer includes hundreds of episodes and movies made for television including: The Jeffersons, The District, Archie Bunker’s Place, Dreamland, Walt Disney Anthology TV Series, Fame, CSI:NY, The Unit, Psych, NCIS, NCIS: New Orleans, Gotham, Black Lightning, Black-ish, S.W.A.T.

Mentioned in Interview

Michael Abbensetts, Ron Abel, Bob Alexander, Mary Alice, Fred Aronow, Nancy Baker, Susan Batson, Ifa Bayeza, Stymie Beard, Daniel Beaty, Hillary Jean Beane, Paul Benjamin, Kathleen Betsko, John Beven, Trazana Beverley, Lee Blessing, Margaret (Megs) Booker, Kim Brockington, Roscoe Lee Browne, Hazel Joan Bryant, Ed Bullins, Leo Burmester, Marvin Camillo, Marcia Cebulska, Laurie Carlos, Alice Childress, Rony Clanton, Frederick Coffin, Jerry Cleveland, Carl W. Crudup, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Collis Davis, Ruby Dee, Danny DeVito, Hal DeWindt, Mark Eisman, Jacob Aaron Estes, Don Evens, Frankie Faison, Robert Falls, Herman Daniel Farrell, III, Kim Fields, Ron Fitzgerald, Elise Forier, Gloria Foster, Athol Fugard, Teri Garr, Frederic Glover, J. Lloyd Grant, Bill Gunn, Moses Gunn, LisaGay Hamilton, Richard Hamburger, Cynthia Harris, Lorraine Hansberry, Peter Hardy, George Hearn, Endesha Holland, Barnard Hughes, Jerry Isaacs, Barnet Kellman, Bibi Kennedy, Woodie King, Jr., Lawrence Hill Jacobs, Sati Jamal, Ebony Jo-Ann, Reginald Johnson, James Earl Jones, Gylan Kain, LaChanze, Oliver Lake, Richard Lawson, Wilford Leach, Ming Cho Lee, Rosetta LeNoire, Ian Maitland, David Margulies, Queen Esther Marrow, Saundra McClain, Skip Mercier, Helen Merrill, Patrick Meyers, Jeffrey Alan Miller, Erica Monk, Gilbert Moses, Sam Murray, Novella Nelson, Odetta, Okwul Okpokwasili, Edith Oliver, Ovamo, Joseph Papp, Patti Patton, Nina Bunche Pierce, Miguel Pinero, Carlos Pinza, CCH Pounder, Clifton Powell, Marco Purroy, John Henry Redwood, Lloyd Richards, Kate Robin, Marcia Rodd, Howard Rollins, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Cheryl Royce, Sonya Sanchez, Chris Sarandon, Hunt Scarritt, Michael Schultz, Ntozake Shange, Mark and Ellen Silbergeld, Madge Sinclair, Mel Shapiro, Regina Taylor, Dennis Tate, Lorraine Toussaint, Cicely Tyson, Reginald Veljohnson, Frederic B. Vogel, Derek Walcott, Basil Wallace, Rudy Wallace, Douglas Turner Ward, Stuart Warmflash, Carl Weber, Charles Weldon, Richard Wesley, Edgar Nkosi White, August Wilson, Michael Wilson, Teddy Wilson, Alfre Woodard, Arena Stage, Asolo Repertory, Back Alley Theater, Billie Holliday Theatre, Boston Court Performing Complex, L.A., Brooklyn Academy of Music, Carnegie Mellon, Cincinnati Playhouse, Delmonte’s, 14th Street Playhouse, Atlanta, The Goodman Theatre, Hartford Stage, Hudson Theater, Lincoln Center, The Living Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, The Mark Taper Forum, Moscow Theatre Union, Russia, Negro Ensemble Company (NEC), The New Federal Theatre, Northlight Theater, NYSF/The Public, New York University, O’Neill Playwrights Conference, Philadelphia Theatre Company, St. Mark’s Playhouse, Studio Rivbea, University of the Streets, AS REAPER IN SUMMER GRAIN, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PARADER WITHOUT A PERMIT, THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL, BARBARA JORDAN, BEGGAR'S CHOICE, BLACK PICTURE SHOW, THE BLOODRITE, BURGHERS OF CALAIS, BUSTING LOOSE, CRUCIFICADO, CYCLONE, THE DARK TOWERS and THE MOONLIGHT ARMS, DREAMS OF THE SILENT DEAD, EMPATHY, INC., THE FALLS, FENCES, FLORIDA, FREE LESSONS, FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE/WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, GOING DOWN, GOING TO ST. IVES, THE GUY UPSTAIRS, A HAND IS ON THE GATE, KILLING JAZZ, LAMENT FOR A RASTAFARIAN, LAST STAND OF THE COMANCHE RIDERS, LA GENTE, LAMENT FOR RASTAFARI, LES FEMMES NOIRES, THE LIGHT OUTSIDE, LOCKED DOORS AND LIGHTNING BUGS, MAHALIA, MATADOR OF 1st AND 1st, MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, MODERATION, MOONLIGHT ARMS/THE DARK TOWER, MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, MOTHER'S DAY, MY SON SUSIE, MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS, NONGOGO, THE NUT HOUSE, ODE TO CHARLIE PARKER, OFFERING FOR NIGHTWORLD, THE OLD SETTLER, OWNING THE KNUCKLEBALL, THE PAST IS THE PAST, PHOTOGRAPH: A STUDY OF CRUELTY, A RAISIN IN THE SUN, RESURRECTION, RETURN TO GUAYAQUIL, SECTION D, SHOES AND STRING, SISTER SONJI, SLUT AND SLEDGE, SPELL #7, STARS IN YOUR EYES, SUN ALWAYS SHINES FOR THE COOL, SWEET TALK, THE TALENTED TENTH, TAKE A GIANT STEP, THE TAKING OF MISS JANIE, THREE FOR A FULL MOON [and] BOCAS, TRINITY, TWIN-BIT GARDENS, VOODOO NICKEL, WHITE LIGHTNING, WHITE OAK.

The primary Stages Off-Broadway Oral history Project

Mentioned in Interview