When I got the call on July 4 that Michael Dinwiddie had passed away that morning from pancreatic cancer, I was devastated. Dinwiddie, 70, was an incredible person who I have known for many years. This NYU theater professor at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, playwright, composer, and a walking, smiling, laughing theater guru was always such a pleasure to be around.
One year, Michael, who was president of the Black Theatre Network (BTN), let me know how much he respected me as a Black theater critic and asked me to come to BTN’s festival, taking place in Winston-Salem, S.C., that summer, to do a workshop about theater criticism, with expenses paid. I was thrilled to have someone acknowledge me in this way; that was the first time anyone had offered me such an experience.
That was an example of the kind of supportive, going-out-of-his-way person that Michael was. His legacy would have to include all the people whose lives he touched with his knowledge, his kindness, his joy. I used to be in awe as I watched him moderate many theater panels, held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Studies, about Broadway productions that featured Black actors.
Michael was such a well-spoken, humble, charming man. I will miss his larger-than-life presence at events and his genuine concern if you shared a problem.
I spoke to several people who felt blessed to know Michael and their thoughts follow.
Woodie King Jr, founder of the New Federal Theatre, said, “I had known Michael for about 35, 40 years since his NYU days, and he taught at [the] New Federal Theatre. Liz [Elizabeth Van Dyke] brought him on as a teacher at New Federal. I retired in 2021; my recollection of Michael is, He’s from Detroit; that’s my hometown. [At my] last event, they unveiled a statue of me by the Mayor’s Office at the Charles Wright Museum and he was there. More recently, 12 or 13 days ago, he arranged an exhibition at the Bruno Walters Auditorium at Lincoln Center, which will be held next month. He had about 15 or 20 questions that we talked about and laughed and we had a great time talking. He and Vincent, his partner, got a cab for us. He told us he had an illness and it would be nothing. At the end of that week, he was in the hospital. He was a really great guy, a playwright, teacher, professor at NYU. He raised money for the August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh, raised money for the new theater at NYU.
“He was a great guy all around. His legacy is bringing people together. You couldn’t be around him and not know the other people around him. If Michael Dinwiddie brought us together, we should know each other. Michael never looked older — he looked the same now as he did when I first met him 40 years ago.”
Elizabeth Van Dyke, producing artistic director of the New Federal Theatre said, “It seems like I’ve known Michael for many, many years. I’ve known him as a friend, a playwright, a playwrighting instructor for the New Federal Theatre, a collaborator — we worked on the Zora Neale Hurston festival. At Crossroads, they have this famous Genesis Festival and they did a reading of his play ‘The Genesis of Love.’ I read the role of Anna Julia Cooper in his play.
“He was a close friend and an artistic comrade. … Michael Dinwiddie embraced the joy of life and he lived fully, and that just impacted you when you were around him. His fun, his life, his laughter rooted in literature, history, and a love for our culture wherever he went, whether the New Federal Theatre or the August Wilson Society, as a professor of NYU, or the African Grove Theater.
“It was Michael who told me about ‘Gong Lum’s Legacy.’ Michael Dinwiddie was an extraordinary human being and an extraordinary gift to the world. He was nationally known and internationally. He was a teacher in South America and Africa. His joy of life, his laughter, and his humor — I will always treasure that.
“I would say his legacy [is] a powerful intellect and an artistic impresario for Black culture, inspiring and urging everyone to become a part, to become members and donors of those institutions. Michael had a hand in so many things, like the Black Theatre Network. When he became president, he opened up the Black Theatre Network to everyone and made it national and invited people around the country to become members. When they did ‘Skeleton Crew’ on Broadway, Michael had a hand in that. He was a musician, a scholar, a playwright, and a professor, he did several things …
“Two weeks ago, he was working on a Black Theatre exposition for the Lincoln Center Library. Woodie King Jr. was among the people he interviewed and Andre De Shields. That’s a big exhibition that will happen in September — he was doing that and coordinating all of that.
“He was everywhere. He and Vincent came to our last play, ‘The Wash.’
“The first three letters of his name, D-I-N, some say stand for Do It Now and that is how Michael lived his life. How do you speak of Black theater in America without speaking about the contribution of Michael Dinwiddie?”
Jackie Jeffries, president of AUDELCO, which honored Dinwiddie with the 2024 Pioneer Award, said, “I’ve known Michael 25 years. My fondest memory is being around him, him playing the piano and singing and all the laughter and joy. He was such a great comedian.
“His legacy is his commitment to Black people in Black theater — his commitment to restore the African Grove Theater, his being part of the August Wilson Foundation, all the students he’s mentored through NYU, the lives he’s transformed. I remember when he would produce these events at NYU. They were works in progress readings of different plays. He was on the board of the New Federal Theatre. He has always been willing to give. He was a historian, he was a walking genius and a great humanitarian. I think he was a quintessential resources man and everybody just loved him. He was walking love. Always had a smile on his face, always a good word. I will miss him.”
Michelle Hodges, one of his dearest colleagues and friends, recalled, “I’m the founding development director for the Classical Theatre of Harlem. I would always look at who was in our audience and, in 2003, Michael came and introduced himself, and that was it. My fondest memory would be the two early benefits that we did for the Classical Theatre of Harlem in 2005, 2006. We wanted to marry Harlem historical theater history with contemporary. Our awards that we gave to people — Tiffany made them. Dianne Carroll came. We were sold out to the gills. They were two remarkable events, and Michael and I just made that happen. We laughed our way through it.
“He was so utterly brilliant. One of the things I noticed when we first started hanging out at NYU — I would see four or five students waiting to talk to him at any time. He was beloved at NYU. “Michael was completely unafraid of expressing his true self. Any environment that he was in, he knew how to talk to people, how to get the best out of them and put them at ease. He was a really funny human being and also a generous spirit with his knowledge and experience.”
Reneé Charlow, 2024–2026 president of the Black Theatre Network (BTN), knew Michael Dinwiddie for more than 15 years, as a friend, mentor, former BTN president, and BTN consultant. “One of my fondest memories is watching Michael effortlessly take charge at BTN events, always grounding us in the rich legacy of Black theatre with his leadership and unwavering commitment,” she said. “He had an uncanny way of blending authority with humor — especially during board meetings, when things got a little too serious. He’d slip in a quick joke or a light comment, just enough to lift the room’s energy.
“I’ll never forget one moment in particular: During a Zoom meeting, I told the board that I wasn’t especially fond of managing or handling other people’s money; I preferred handling Renee’s money. Without missing a beat, he chimed in on the Zoom chat, ‘Oh, I understand — I like Renee’s money, too. I do.’ I laughed and shared the comment with the others. That moment stuck with me because it was so him: candid, kind, and always ready to share a smile.”
Considering Dinwiddie’s legacy, Charlow said, “Michael’s legacy is rooted in his steadfast commitment to the preservation and celebration of Black theatre. Through every BTN event and every boardroom conversation, he reminded us that our work was not just organizational; it was ancestral, cultural, and revolutionary. He believed Black theatre should remain at the forefront of the artistic conversation, and he worked tirelessly to ensure our mission always reflected that.
“He championed theatre of the diaspora, never allowing us to stray from the business of uplifting stories that echoed our heritage and spoke to our future. His leadership was strategic as well as spiritual. He carried the torch with grace and pride, and left behind a blueprint for advocacy, artistic excellence, and community that we will continue to follow with reverence.”
Reflecting on Michael she shared, “In every room he entered—whether it was a rehearsal space, a board meeting, or a packed theatre—he carried an undeniable presence, one that combined insight, wit, and a deep love for the art form and the people who shaped it. We mourn his passing, yes, but we celebrate the legacy he leaves behind: one of joy, excellence, and cultural pride.”
“His voice may be silent, but his impact echoes in every curtain call, every script read, every story told. We will continue the work he championed, holding his vision close as we forge ahead.”
“Ashe, Brother Michael. Ashe.”