Ajene D. Washington

Director, Playwright, Actor & Set Designer

Ajene D. Washington a native of Kansas City, Missouri has established himself as an important theatrical artist; he is an award-winning director, playwright and set designer. His world premiere production of American Menu won several AUDELCO awards, and he received the Best Director’s Award. The production later received an Off-Broadway production at the New Federal Theatre. He was nominated as Best Director for The Old Settler, which won AUDELCO’S Best Revival Award. Under his direction of Adam, Timothy Simonson received The Best Solo Actor Award from AUDELCO for his performance. Ajene is a founding member of the We Owe Somebody Collective and director of their road production Threads of Tradition, which performed at several colleges throughout the United States.

As a playwright, Ajene’s plays have received readings and productions throughout the country. His plays, And Five Were Not Men Yet and Flashing Back Before Me received the Bronx Council on the Arts BRIO award in playwriting. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s Voices at the River national competition selected his play, Almost September, for their developmental series. His play A Shadow in Time was selected as one of the semi-finalists at the O’Neill Center. Woodie King’s Black Touring Circuit commissioned him to write the play Chisholm, a Catalyst for Change, which premiered at the Castillo Theatre. He was also commissioned by the Capital Repertory Theatre of Albany, New York to write the children’s play, Around the World in 45 Minutes, for their Star Summer Program.

As a set designer, Ajene has designed a number of sets, receiving a Lucille Lortel nomination for his set design of American Menu. He also won the AUDELCO award for Best Set Design for his set of American King Umps.

Ajene received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech and Drama from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, and a Master’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. He is a member of The Dramatist Guild, Screen Actor’s Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actor’s Equity and Stage Directors and Choreographer Society.

He has directed two short films, A Homecoming and The Date.

Website: ajenedwashington.com