Tarell Alvin McCraney

ABOUT TARELL ALVIN MCCRANEY

Oscar-winning screenwriter, playwright, and actor who was the recipient of the first New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award for "The Brother/Sister Plays." He is a member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble.

He graduated from New World School of the Arts High School. In 1999, he was rejected by Juilliard. He went on to the Theater School at DePaul University in Chicago, and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting. In May of 2007, he graduated from Yale School of Drama's playwriting program, where he received the Cole Porter Playwriting Award upon graduation.

He co-wrote the 2016 film Moonlight, based on his own play, for which he received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for the 2019 film High Flying Bird and 2019 television series David Makes Man.

His father left home early on, and his mother died from AIDS-related complications when he was 22.

At Yale, he was an assistant to August Wilson .