07/05/2025
Dear Members of the August Wilson Society,
Our hearts are heavy today as we mourn the sudden passing of our beloved President, Michael D. Dinwiddie. To quote Dr. Sandra G. Shannon, Founder and President Emeritus of the August Wilson Society, “the August Wilson Society lost a brilliant, passionate, visionary leader who kept its hard-working Board in line (and often in stitches) with his characteristic quick wit and humor.”
Throughout a career spanning decades, President Dinwiddie was a dramatist and composer whose works have been produced in New York, regional, and educational theaters. He has served as playwright-in-residence at Michigan State University, Saint Louis University, and Florida A&M University. He has taught screenwriting courses at SUNY Stony Brook, California State University, San Bernardino, and the Universidad de Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, among other institutions. An Inaugural Fellow at Touchstone Pictures in the Walt Disney Writers Program, Michael worked as a staff writer on ABC-Lorimar TV’s hit series Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper. His honors include the Torchbearer’s Award (AUDELCO), the Frederica L. Teer Spirit Award as “a visionary and catalyst for institution building” from the National Black Theatre, honorary lifetime membership in the Black Theatre Network, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting.
What is listed above is only a small part of his contributions to the performing arts and academia. President Dinwiddie was an outstanding leader, a supporter of the arts, and an exceptional friend to everyone he met.
While our hearts are saddened by his passing, they are forever warmed by the life he led. As we extend our deepest sympathies to his family, especially his husband, Vincent, and to everyone who loved him, please join us in celebrating his remarkable influence on the August Wilson Society.
📸: Lia Chang
