Whitney White

Whitney White grew up in Chicago, Illinois.^[9] She attended Northwestern University, where she took theater classes, receiving a BA in political science and a certificate in musical theater. While working as an intern on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, White realized she wanted to pursue the arts. She received a MFA in acting in 2015 from Brown University through their partnership with Trinity Repertory Company.^[10][11][1]

During White's first year of MFA at Brown University/Trinity Rep, all actor program students had to take one directing class. She received her first opportunity to direct during this class (an adaptation she wrote of Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen), and she felt that all of her skills were being put to use and "that my brain was quiet and focused".^[9]

White's directorial debut was in 2018, when she directed Othello for Trinity Repertory, when she fell in love with Shakespeare's work. “I am a Black woman from Chicago, and I always saw my experience reflected in Shakespeare’s world, however, often I would see these great plays live, and these productions wouldn’t represent my experience or even a world I recognized. Yet, when I read Shakespeare, I totally hear my world. I hear my friends and family, and I see the world that I live in. So I wondered how I could unite all these worlds that I love: music, Shakespeare, really high-quality performative art, and entertainment.” Whitney said in an interview with American Repertory Theater.^[12] A.R.T commissioned White for five different projects, including Macbeth in Stride, which examined Black female power through the eyes of Lady Macbeth, played by White, and was staged as a rock concert.  

In November of the same year White directed What to Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea Harris at A.R.T./New York Theatres. The cast included Alana Raquel Bowers, Rachel Christopher, Ugo Chukwu, Kambi Gathesha, Naomi Lorrain, Denise Manning, Javon Q. Minter and Beau Thom.^[13]

White won the Obie Award in 2020 for directing Our Dear Dead Druglord at the WP Theater.^[14]

In 2023, it was announced that White was attached to direct a stage musical adaptation of The Queen's Gambit.^{[15][16][17][18]}

White is set to direct Lynn Nottage's adaptation of Imitation of Life, with music and lyrics by John Legend, at The Shed in New York in November, 2026.^[19]

Source:^[20][22]

White lives in Brooklyn, New York City.^[21]