Toni-Leslie James

Toni-Leslie James is an American costume designer of stage, television and film productions. James was awarded the National Black Theatre Festival's 2011 Outstanding Costume Designer of the Year Award, and the 2009 Obie for Sustained Excellence in Costume Design. She received a BFA in costume design from The Ohio State University^[1] and is the Director of Costumes at Virginia Commonwealth University.^[2]

Toni-Leslie James' Broadway credits include the costume designs for The Scottsboro Boys (Hewes Design Award Nomination), Finian's Rainbow, Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, King Hedley II, One Mo’ Time, The Wild Party (FANY Award), Marie Christine (FANY Nomination), Footloose, The Tempest (Drama Desk Nomination), Twilight…Los Angeles 1992, ''Angels in America: Millennium Approaches & Perestroika, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Jelly’s Last Jam (Hewes Design Award, Tony Award Nomination and Drama Desk Nomination).

Off Broadway and regionally she has designed productions for various productions, including; the City Center Encores! series, Lincoln Center Theater, The Public Theatre, The Vineyard Theatre, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, Arena Stage, The Shakespeare Theatre, The Mark Taper Forum, Ballet Hispanico, and internationally at the Royal Court and Chitchester theaters in England, The Citadel Theatre in Canada, and The Greek Festival in Athens, Greece.

Her television credits include; Whoopi for NBC, As The World Turns for CBS, The Huey P. Newton Story directed by Spike Lee, five specials for WNET/13 Great Performances series and the feature film, A Tale of Two Pizzas directed by Vincent Sassone.

Toni-Leslie James is married to the lighting designer David Higham, with whom she had two children (one deceased) and homes in Brooklyn, New York, and Richmond, Virginia.^[3]

Awards & Nominations

Lucille Lortel Award Nomination - Civil War Christmas, 2013
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination - Milk Like Sugar , 2012
National Black Theatre Festival - 2011 Outstanding Costume Designer of The Year
Hewes Design Award Nomination - The Scottsboro Boys, The Vineyard Theatre, 2010
Audelco Nomination - The Scottsboro Boys, 2010
Hewes Design Award Nomination - Wig Out, The Vineyard Theatre, 2009
Obie Award Sustained Excellence in Costume Design, 2009
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination - Wig Out, The Vineyard Theatre, 2009
Audelco Nomination - Wig Out, The Vineyard Theatre, 2009
Denver Theatre Center Ovation Award Nomination - 3 Mo’ Divas, Denver Theatre Center, 2008
Helen Hayes Award Nomination - 3 Mo’ Divas, Arena Stage, 2007
Hewes Design Nomination - Bernarda Alba, Lincoln Center Theater, 2006
Audelco Nomination - Dessa Rose, 2005
Audelco Nomination - Thunder Knocking At The Door, 2002
Connecticut Critics Circle Award - Baptiste, Hartford Stage, 2001^[4]
Fany Award - The Wild Party, 2000
Fany Nomination - Marie Christine, 2000
Irene Sharaff Young Masters Award For Costume Design Excellence 1996
Drama Desk Nomination - The Tempest, Broadway, 1995
Tony Nomination - Jelly’s Last Jam, Broadway, 1992
Drama Desk Nomination - Jelly’s Last Jam, Broadway, 1992
Hewes Design Award - Jelly’s Last Jam, Broadway, 1992
Drama Desk Nomination - The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Public Theater, 1991
Hewes Design Nomination - The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Public Theater, 1991
La Drama-Logue Award - Jelly’s Last Jam, Mark Taper Forum, 1991
N.A.A.C.P. Image Award Nomination - Jelly’s Last Jam, Mark Taper Forum, 1991
Audelco Nomination - The Caucasian Chalk Circle, The Public Theater, 1991
Audelco Nomination - Spunk, The Public Theater, 1990

References

External links

[1] Theatre VCU

[2] Theatre VCU

[3] ttp://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/a-wonderful-kid-that-didn-t-deserve-to-die/article_dd6d0830-9f9e-5eb9-bd05-d1f16be26510.html

[4] Theatre VCU

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