Ngozi Anyanwu

Ngozi Anyanwu
Born
Ngozi Jane Anyanwu

Nigeria
Alma materPoint Park University (BA)
University of California, San Diego (MFA)
OccupationsPlaywright and actress

Ngozi Jane Anyanwu Listenⓘ is a playwright and actress.[1]

Life and education

Anyanwu was born in Trenton, New Jersey.[1] She earned her BA from Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her MFA from the graduate acting program at University of California, San Diego.[2]

She is an alumnus of an Old Vic New Voices program,[3] and has had residencies at Djerassi Artists Residency, Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), and SPACE on Ryder Farm.[4]

She resides in New York.[1]

Work

Themes in Anyanwu's work include family, identities, and the concept of home.[1][5] Anyanwu's play Good Grief won Center Theatre Group's Humanitas Award after its world premiere at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in 2016. It was included on The Kilroys' List in 2016.[4]

Her play, THE HOMECOMING QUEEN, premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company January 22, 2018.[1][5] It tells the story of a "prodigal daughter" born in Nigeria who returns after living in the USA.[1] The play ran at the Atlantic Theater Company through February 18, 2018.[2][5] Her play The Last of the Love Letters, which focuses on two people examining the end of a relationship, premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company on August 26, 2021.[6]

Her most recent new play, The Monsters, premiered at Manhattan Theatre Club Off-Broadway in 2026 starring Aigner Mizzelle and Okieriete Onaodowan.[7] The play follows two siblings involved in martial arts. The show was positively received, with the New York Theatre Guide calling it "an epic and throbbing heart of a play"[8] and The New York Times praising it as a "searing two-hander" and naming it a Critic's Pick.[9]

Anyanwu is a recipient of New York Stage and Film's Founders Award. She is commissioned by Old Globe Theatre and the Atlantic Theater Company.[2]

Filmography

Television

Anyanwu is credited as an actress in the following television series:[4]

Stage credits

Year Title Role Venue Ref.
2008 War Performer Off-Broadway, Rattlestick Theatre [10]
2016 Good Grief Playwright, Nkechi Los Angeles, Center Theatre Group [11]
2018 Off-Broadway, Vineyard Theatre [12]
THE HOMECOMING QUEEN Playwright Off-Broadway, Atlantic Theatre Company [13][14]
Nike or we don’t need another hero Reading, The New Black Fest [15]
2021 The last of the love letters or the last of the mad sad geniuses Off-Broadway, Atlantic Theatre Company [16][17]
2022 MY NAME…IS BEATRICE Off-Broadway, Atlantic Theatre Company First Gen MIXFEST [18]
2023 the book of Lucy Regional, Trinity Repertory Company [19][20]
2026 The Monsters Off-Broadway, Manhattan Theatre Club and Two River Theatre [21][22]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2026 Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Play The Monsters Nominated [23]
Drama League Award Outstanding Production of a Play Nominated [24][25]
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play Nominated [26]
Outstanding Direction of a Play Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Diane Cole (January 24, 2018). "New Play: For Nigerian Expat, Going Home Again Is A Real Trip". NPR. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Homecoming Queen". atlantictheater.org. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Old Vic Announces Teams For TS ELIOT US/UK EXCHANGE PROGRAM". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-09. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
  4. 1 2 3 "Featured Playwrights: Ngozi Anyanwu". The Lark. February 14, 2017. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 Jesse Green (22 January 2018). "Review: A Bumpy Return to Nigeria for 'The Homecoming Queen'". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (August 26, 2021). "Off-Broadway's Atlantic Welcomes Back Audiences With Ngozi Anyanwu's The Last of the Love Letters, Beginning August 26". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2021-08-28. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  7. ↑ "The Monsters". Manhattan Theatre Club. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  8. ↑ "'The Monsters' Off-Broadway review — sibling rivalry enters the ring". New York Theatre Guide. February 11, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ "'The Monsters' Review: A Brutal and Tender Sibling Fight Drama". The New York Times. February 12, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ngozi Anyanwu (Actor, Playwright)". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  11. ↑ "Good Grief (2017 Production History)". Center Theatre Group. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  12. ↑ "Good Grief Review". The New York Times. 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  13. ↑ "The Homecoming Queen". Atlantic Theater Company. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  14. ↑ "The Homecoming Queen Review". The New York Times. 2018-01-22. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  15. ↑ "Barnard Alumnae Profile Page". Barnard College. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  16. ↑ "The Last of the Love Letters Review". The New York Times. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  17. ↑ "The Last of the Love Letters". Atlantic Theater Company. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  18. ↑ "Atlantic Theater Company to Present FIRST GEN MIXFEST Featuring Work by Ngozi Anyanwu, Roger Q. Mason & More". BroadwayWorld. 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  19. ↑ "The Book of Lucy". Trinity Repertory Company. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  20. ↑ "The Book of Lucy (Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs production page)". Trinity Repertory Company. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  21. ↑ "The Monsters". Manhattan Theatre Club. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  22. ↑ "The Monsters Review". The New York Times. 2026-02-12. Retrieved 2026-05-24.
  23. ↑ "MEXODUS and PRINCE F*GGOT Lead 2026 Lucille Lortel Nominations". BroadwayWorld. April 1, 2026. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
  24. ↑ Gans, Andrew (April 20, 2026). "2026 Drama League Awards Nominations Are Out; Read the Full List". Playbill. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  25. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  26. ↑ "Schmigadoon!, Ragtime Win Big at 2026 Outer Critics Circle Awards; Read the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
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