Kenny Leon is a renowned Tony Award-winning director who has made a significant impact in the world of Broadway and film. His impressive resume boasts a wide range of productions, including the revival of Children of a Lesser God, the Tupac musical Holler If You Hear Me, and the critically acclaimed A Raisin in the Sun, starring Denzel Washington, which earned him a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and Best Revival of a Play.
Leon's work has also been recognized in the television industry, with credits including "Hairspray Live!" and "The Wiz Live!" on NBC. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding direction, including the 2016 "Mr. Abbott" Award and the 2010 Julia Hansen Award for Excellence in Directing by the Drama League of New York.
Prior to co-founding True Colors Theatre Company, Leon served as the Artistic Director of The Alliance Theatre for 11 years, where he produced the premieres of Disney's Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida, Pearl Cleage's Blues for an Alabama Sky, and Alfred Uhry's The Last Night of Ballyhoo. His directorial credits also include Alicia Keys World Tour, Toni Morrison's opera Margaret Garner, the world premiere of Flashdance The Musical, and the complete August Wilson Century Cycle at the Kennedy Center.
Leon is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, and has conducted acting and theatre workshops at universities and corporate offices across the United States, South Africa, and Ireland. He has also directed productions in the UK and extensively throughout the US, including Chicago's Goodman Theatre, Boston's Huntington Theatre, Baltimore's Center Stage, Los Angeles' Center Theatre Group, and New York's Public Theatre.
Leon is a proud graduate of Clark Atlanta University and has received honorary Ph.D. degrees from Clark Atlanta and Roosevelt Universities. He has also served as the Denzel Washington Chair at Fordham University.
