Von H. Washington, Ph.D.

Von Washington, a native of Albion, Michigan, spent 12 years in the U. S. Air Force, which afforded him an opportunity to travel to many places in the world. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in sociology, he has a master’s degree in theatre and a Ph.D. in speech communications, theatre, and journalism from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI. He has written, directed, performed in and supervised more than 300 theatrical projects. He has appeared in more than 40 commercials, industrial and feature films, and appeared in a guest starring role on the television sitcom, “A Different World,” produced by Bill Cosby. He is the recipient of the Michigan Foundation for the Arts Award, the Kalamazoo Community Medal of the Arts Award, and Awards of Merit from the State of Michigan and the City of Detroit. As a professor at Wayne State University, he received the Carter G. Woodson Education Award. Recently he was selected to the WMU Communications Department's Alumni Academy. He is currently the director of the Multicultural theatre Program at Western Michigan University and the Artistic Director for Washington Productions, Inc. Von's plays have been produced all over the world. His latest creation, Remnants from Senegal, was produced at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. and his one-act play, Fighting Fires was a finalist in the New York's Riant Theatre's Strawberry One-Act Festival. Seven Stops to Freedom is scheduled to be produced by University of Louisville's Black Theatre Program in Beijing China. It was produced in South Africa last season by the same company. His play, Rosa Parks, toured the USA last season under the sponsorship of the National Black Touring Circuit of the New Federal Theatre of New York City.

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