Playwright And ‘Slave Play’ Director Robert O’Hara Signs With CAA

EXCLUSIVE: CAA has signed Robert O’Hara, the New York-based playwright and director of Jeremy O. Harris’ Tony-nominated Slave Play.

O’Hara, whose production of Jelly’s Last Jam ran at New York City Center Encores! in February, has also directed his own plays, including Mankind, Bootycandy, and Insurrection: Holding History. His other plays include This Fire This Time, The Etiquette of Vigilance, Antebellum, and Zombie: The American.

In addition to Slave Play, his other world premiere directing credits include Nikkole Salter and Danai Gurira’s In The Continuum, Tarell McCraney’s The Brother/Sister Plays Part II, Colman Domingo’s Wild With Happy, and Kirsten Childs’ Bella: An American Tall Tale. He has received the NAACP Best Play and Best Director Awards, the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play, two Obie Awards, and the Herb Alpert Award.

O’Hara is next set to direct the feature adaptation of his play Barbecue starring Colman Domingo, Marisa Tomei, and Danai Gurira, with David Levine and Anonymous Content producing.

He is also the creator and showrunner of the original series First High Five at FX with Ryan Murphy Productions, and co-creator of the original series 100 Boyfriends at FX.

O’Hara has been an artist in residence at the American Conservatory Theater, New York Shakespeare Festival, and Theater Emory, as well as a visiting professor at DePaul University School of the Arts. He has been commissioned by Mark Taper Forum, National Endowment of the Arts, McCarter Theatre, Theatres de Nimes, Le Theatre l’Odeon, Theaterworks/USA, and Theater Emory.

O’Hara is represented by Stan Coleman at Weintraub Tobin Chediak Colmen Grodin.