Gilbert Moses


Gilbert Moses III was an American stage, screen, and television director.

Early life and career

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Moses was the co-founder of the Free Southern Theater company, an important pioneer of African-American theatre.
His 1971 Broadway debut, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, won him a Tony Award nomination and the Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Director.
In 1976, he and George Faison teamed to co-direct and choreograph the ill-fated Alan Jay Lerner-Leonard Bernstein musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which closed after seven performances.
Moses' off-Broadway work as a director won him an Obie Award for Amiri Baraka's Slave Ship and the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for The Taking of Miss Janie.
Among Moses' television credits are Benson, Ghostwriter, The Paper Chase, Law & Order, several episodes of the mini-series Roots, and a number of television movies. His only feature films were Willie Dynamite and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.

Personal life

Moses was married three times, to actress Denise Nicholas, Wilma Butler, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, and had two daughters, Tsia and :en:China Moses|China. He died of multiple myeloma in New York City.