Daniel Carlton is a multiple award-winning Harlem-based actor, storyteller, playwright, poet, director, and teaching artist who has appeared on New York, national, and international stages. His work has also been created and presented in schools, jails, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, and every imaginable place to create and perform. In the past two years alone, he has had four plays simultaneously presented on national tours of the Theater for Young Audiences. His recent projects include:
As playwright and director: Freedom Flight (25-city 2022-23 national tour); Jabari Dreams of Freedom by Nambi E Kelley (New Victory Theater spring 2022, national tour); March On (Apollo Theater, National Black Theater Festival, York College, Playhouse Square Wilmington); 48 Hours in Harlem (Harlem 9 Theater Co); What If (Negro Ensemble Company, Cherry Lane Theater NYC, UPenn); Pigfoot Mary Says Goodbye to the Harlem Renaissance (Metropolitan Playhouse, Negro Ensemble Company Tour, Community Works, Kumble Theater, Schomburg Center); Night Train 57 (Kennedy Center); Freedom Riders (national tour).
As playwright: Shelter: Refugees of the American Dream (Blackberry Productions); Playwrighting partnerships with writing partner Nambi E Kelley: Hidden Inside (Keen Theater); director and co-writer with Nambi E Kelley of a new hybrid digital and live play, This Ability (Chicago Childrenโs Theater); So Journey to the Truth (Syracuse Stage).
Other recent or notable projects include performing multiple characters in Finding North by David Gonzalez (national tour); The Eagle in Harlem, which has been seen by thousands of school-age children (Summerstage NY, Brooklyn Museum, Wallach Gallery Columbia University); Children of War Theater Project; and While We Are Still Here Project.
Daniel is a teaching artist for companies including Yaffa Arts, Apollo Theatre Community Works, Mindbuilders, Blackberry Productions. Playwright: 12 Plays for Younger Audiences. He was a collaborator with Iquail Shaheed of Dance Iquail on Public Enemy (dramaturg and text); a dance piece based on the Incarceration of Black Men. He was dance/dramaturg for Black Swan, Pushers Project, and dramaturg for Dances for a Variable Population, Revival 6 and Revival 7. Narrator: JazzReach National Tour. Directorโs Mentor Negro Ensemble Company.
Daniel has been a guest lecturer/director at NYU, University of Iowa, Syracuse University (commissioned writer), Western Carolina University, University of Georgia. He is currently on the faculty of HB Studios, Alvin Ailey, First Woman Productions.
Go Tell It On the Mountain: James Baldwin in Words and Music