Episode 24 - Writer Producer Suzan-Lori Parks
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Suzan-Lori Parks rose to prominence in the theatrical world when her play, Topdog Underdog won a Pulitzer Prize in 2002. She wrote her first screenplay, “Girl 6” directed by and starring Spike Lee in 1996 and has several film projects to her credit including the adaptation of Richard Wright’s “Native Son” for HBO. For her two recent projects, "Genius: Aretha" for NatGeo and "The United States vs. Billie Holiday", Suzan Lori dives deep into the lives and voices of two legendary singers.
“Genius: Aretha” is the latest addition to the Genius series by NatGeo. The eight-part series tells the story of Aretha’s rise from her gospel and jazz roots to become the legendary ‘Queen of Soul’. The series was also produced by Suzan-Lori. The series was directed by Anthony Hemingway and starts Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, Malcolm Barret, David Cross, and Courtney B Vance.
The AAFCA Award winning film "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" was directed by Lee Daniels and stars Andra Day as Holiday, Trevante Rhodes, and Garret Hedlund.
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