All About Me

LYNWOODT BENARD

Lynwoodt Benard is a local artist with international appeal.  His experience consists of radio, stage, and film.  Most recently, he served as Creative Communications Instructor for the Alvin Ailey Summer Camp through The Fox Theater.  While there, he was asked to write a tribute to Ailey Artistic Director, Judith Jamison for the camp’s tribute performance in her honor.  In 2008 Fulton County Arts County selected Lynwoodt as Literary Artist with residency at Caversham Creative Arts Center in South Africa.  It was a collaborative arts project with other American and African artist.  There, Lynwoodt published a chapbook of poetry, worked on a novel of fiction, and facilitated an affirmation workshop at the School of Jabula in Durban.

Lynwoodt’s performance credits include work with Whole World Theatre, Actor’s Express Theatre, San Francisco Queer Arts Festival, and the National Black Theatre Festival, where he garnered favorable review in American Theater magazine (p. 87, Nov. ’01).  He also appeared in the indie film, The Fan, with additional work as a voice-over talent for Alliance Theatre Company, Ballethnic Dance Company, Delta Airlines, and Kiss 101FM.  Lynwoodt’s playwriting credits include Blackberries and At the Crossroads, both of which were commissioned by Clark-Atlanta University, Emory University, and Morehouse College. 

Lynwoodt’s professional training includes a Master Class at 7 Stages with Rhodessa Jones of Cultural Odyssey, along with advanced study in the Alliance Theatre acting program, and two years at the School of Actor’s Express.  There, he later served as resident Instructor for five years.  Lynwoodt has taught the Meisner Technique at Georgia Ensemble Theatre, West End Performing Arts Center, Clark-Atlanta University and Spelman College.  He further facilitated acting workshops at other colleges and universities throughout the Southeast through an “Arts-in-Education” project funded by the Coca-Cola Foundation. 

His directing credits include Ripe, written and performed by Tamara Madison in 2007, and scenes from Fences and Seven Guitars in an August Wilson tribute at Southwest Performing Arts Center, 2006.

A prolific writer, Lynwoodt’s publishing credits include contributions in three anthologies:

- CRUX: in Words and Images (Anthology – 2008),  Edited by Walter K. Chakela, M. Simanga, M.  M’buzi Moore & Felton Eaddy, Caversham Press | Fulton County Arts Council

 - Spirited, (Anthology – 2006), Edited by G. Winston James & Lisa C. Moore, Redbone Press |  ISBN: 0-9656659-3-3

- Fighting Words, (Anthology – 1998), Edited by Charles M. Smith, Avon Books |  ISBN: 0-380799472