MARY ALICE (Smith) - A Tribute of Memories
Created by DALE RICARDO SHIELDS [Iforcolor.org]
Mary Alice Smith
BIRTH
December 3,1936
Indianola, Sunflower County, Mississippi, USA
DEATH
July 28,2022 (aged 85)
New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
BURIAL
Oak Woods Cemetery
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
The daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith, she was born Mary Alice Smith. Her family moved from Mississippi to Chicago when she was two years of age. She had a passion for theatre and began acting on stage.
Mary Alice started as a Chicago teacher but turned to Acting in the 1960s. She got her education and training at Chicago State University. By the 1960s, she had returned to her childhood love of acting and started performing in community theatre before moving to New York City and appearing in a number of plays at La MaMa, including Adrienne Kennedy's A Rat's Mass. She received training at the Negro Ensemble Company. Most of her career took place on the professional stage.
In 1977 she appeared in "Cockfight" with Morgan Freeman directed by Woodle King Jr. In 1987 she received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in August Wilson's "Fences" with James Earl Jones In 1995 she received a Tony nomination for best actress for the play "Having Our Say" with Gloria Foster.
Television and Movies
She appeared in "Good Times", "Sanford and Son", "A Different World, and Law & Order. For her role in the drama, "I'll Fly Away", and won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Mary Alice also had roles in a few popular movies such as "Awakenings" and "The Bonfires of the Vanities". She also appeared in "The Matrix: Revolutions" as the Oracle, replacing Gloria Foster who originated the role.
Alice appeared in over 50 television shows and feature films during her career. She made her screen debut in the 1974 film "The Education of Sonny Carson", and "Sparkle" the 1976 American musical drama film with Irene Cara, she later guest-starred in "Police Woman" and "Sanford and Son". She played Ellie Grant Hubbard on the soap opera "All My Children" in the early 1980s and "A Different World" as Leticia 'Lettie' Bostic from 1988 to 1989. Her other film credits include "Malcolm X" (1992), "The Inkwell" (1994), and "Down in the Delta" with Alfre Woodard. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2000. She retired from showbusiness in 2005.
Awards
1995
Nomination:
Tony Award: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Having Our Say — Dr. Bessie Delany
1987
Winner:
Tony Award: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Fences — Rose
Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1993 for "I'll Fly Away" (1991–1993).
Performance credits
The Amen Corner
Long Wharf Theatre
The Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Mainstage Theatre
New Haven, CT
January – February 7, 1996
Sister Margaret Alexander
*
Having Our Say
Booth Theatre
New York, NY
March 16 – December 31, 1995
Dr. Bessie Delany
*
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
world premiere
McCarter Theatre Center
McCarter Theatre Center
Princeton, NJ
1995
Dr. Bessie Delany
*
The Shadow Box
Circle in the Square
Circle in the Square Theatre
New York, NY
November 4, 1994 – January 1, 1995
Maggie
*
A Sumbeam
Pittsburgh Public Theater
Hazlett Theater
Pittsburgh, PA
May 30 – July 7, 1991
*
The Tragedy of Richard III
The Public Theater
Delacorte Theatre
New York, NY
August 3 – September 2, 1990
Queen Margaret
*
Fences
46th Street Theatre
New York, NY
March 26, 1987 – June 26, 1988
Rose
*
Under Statements
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Loretto-Hilton Center Browning Mainstage
Webster Groves, MO
October 9 – November 8, 1985
Marian
*
Fences
world premiere
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre
New Haven, CT
April 30 – May 1985
Rose
*
You're Too Tall, But Come Back In Two Weeks
Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre
New Haven, CT
February 28 – March 28, 1975
Dee
*
No Place to Be Somebody
Morosco Theatre
New York, NY
September 9 – October 10, 1971
Cora Beasley
*
A Rat's Mass
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa E.T.C.
New York, NY
September 17 – October 26, 1969
Sister Rat
*
King Lear
Arena Stage
Arena Stage Fichandler Stage
Washington, DC
March – April 1969
Cordelia
* BIO by Dale Ricardo Shields
* Slide Presentation by Dale Ricardo Shields
I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND MUSIC PRESENTED IN THIS TRIBUTE MEMORIAL SLIDE/VIDEO. - DALE RICARDO SHIELDS [ IFORCOLOR.ORG ]
Lionel Richie - Smooth Jazz All Stars
- You are
Dinner Party Smooth Jazz
℗ 2015 Cc Entertainment
Released on: 2015-07-24
- Sail on
Smooth Jazz All Stars
Cover Lionel Richie
℗ 2016 Cc Entertainment
Released on: 2016-09-23
Music
You Are
Song 1 of 3
Sail On
Song 2 of 3
Floating above Reality b
Song 3 of 3
ARTIST
Smooth Jazz All Stars
Mary Alice Smith
BIRTH
December 3,1936
Indianola, Sunflower County, Mississippi, USA
DEATH
July 28,2022 (aged 85)
New York County (Manhattan), New York, USA
BURIAL
Oak Woods Cemetery
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA
The daughter of Ozelar and Sam Smith, she was born Mary Alice Smith. Her family moved from Mississippi to Chicago when she was two years of age. She had a passion for theatre and began acting on stage.
Mary Alice started as a Chicago teacher but turned to Acting in the 1960s. She got her education and training at Chicago State University. By the 1960s, she had returned to her childhood love of acting and started performing in community theatre before moving to New York City and appearing in a number of plays at La MaMa, including Adrienne Kennedy's A Rat's Mass. She received training at the Negro Ensemble Company. Most of her career took place on the professional stage.
In 1977 she appeared in "Cockfight" with Morgan Freeman directed by Woodle King Jr. In 1987 she received a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her work in August Wilson's "Fences" with James Earl Jones In 1995 she received a Tony nomination for best actress for the play "Having Our Say" with Gloria Foster.
Television and Movies
She appeared in "Good Times", "Sanford and Son", "A Different World, and Law & Order. For her role in the drama, "I'll Fly Away", and won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Mary Alice also had roles in a few popular movies such as "Awakenings" and "The Bonfires of the Vanities". She also appeared in "The Matrix: Revolutions" as the Oracle, replacing Gloria Foster who originated the role.
Alice appeared in over 50 television shows and feature films during her career. She made her screen debut in the 1974 film "The Education of Sonny Carson", and "Sparkle" the 1976 American musical drama film with Irene Cara, she later guest-starred in "Police Woman" and "Sanford and Son". She played Ellie Grant Hubbard on the soap opera "All My Children" in the early 1980s and "A Different World" as Leticia 'Lettie' Bostic from 1988 to 1989. Her other film credits include "Malcolm X" (1992), "The Inkwell" (1994), and "Down in the Delta" with Alfre Woodard. She was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2000. She retired from showbusiness in 2005.
Awards
1995
Nomination:
Tony Award: Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Having Our Say — Dr. Bessie Delany
1987
Winner:
Tony Award: Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Fences — Rose
Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1993 for "I'll Fly Away" (1991–1993).
Performance credits
The Amen Corner
Long Wharf Theatre
The Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Mainstage Theatre
New Haven, CT
January – February 7, 1996
Sister Margaret Alexander
*
Having Our Say
Booth Theatre
New York, NY
March 16 – December 31, 1995
Dr. Bessie Delany
*
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years
world premiere
McCarter Theatre Center
McCarter Theatre Center
Princeton, NJ
1995
Dr. Bessie Delany
*
The Shadow Box
Circle in the Square
Circle in the Square Theatre
New York, NY
November 4, 1994 – January 1, 1995
Maggie
*
A Sumbeam
Pittsburgh Public Theater
Hazlett Theater
Pittsburgh, PA
May 30 – July 7, 1991
*
The Tragedy of Richard III
The Public Theater
Delacorte Theatre
New York, NY
August 3 – September 2, 1990
Queen Margaret
*
Fences
46th Street Theatre
New York, NY
March 26, 1987 – June 26, 1988
Rose
*
Under Statements
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Loretto-Hilton Center Browning Mainstage
Webster Groves, MO
October 9 – November 8, 1985
Marian
*
Fences
world premiere
Yale Repertory Theatre
Yale Repertory Theatre
New Haven, CT
April 30 – May 1985
Rose
*
You're Too Tall, But Come Back In Two Weeks
Long Wharf Theatre
Long Wharf Theatre
New Haven, CT
February 28 – March 28, 1975
Dee
*
No Place to Be Somebody
Morosco Theatre
New York, NY
September 9 – October 10, 1971
Cora Beasley
*
A Rat's Mass
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club
La MaMa E.T.C.
New York, NY
September 17 – October 26, 1969
Sister Rat
*
King Lear
Arena Stage
Arena Stage Fichandler Stage
Washington, DC
March – April 1969
Cordelia
* BIO by Dale Ricardo Shields
* Slide Presentation by Dale Ricardo Shields
I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND MUSIC PRESENTED IN THIS TRIBUTE MEMORIAL SLIDE/VIDEO. - DALE RICARDO SHIELDS [ IFORCOLOR.ORG ]
Lionel Richie - Smooth Jazz All Stars
- You are
Dinner Party Smooth Jazz
℗ 2015 Cc Entertainment
Released on: 2015-07-24
- Sail on
Smooth Jazz All Stars
Cover Lionel Richie
℗ 2016 Cc Entertainment
Released on: 2016-09-23
Music
You Are
Song 1 of 3
Sail On
Song 2 of 3
Floating above Reality b
Song 3 of 3
ARTIST
Smooth Jazz All Stars
