ST. LOUIS: The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis has announced a three-year partnership with award-winning actor, director, and playwright Regina Taylor. Taylor will join the Rep’s artistic staff as playwright-in-residence through the National Playwright Residency Program, a residency funded in collaboration with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and HowlRound Theatre Commons. The program aims to “reimagine what institutions might look like when an artist’s voice is at their core” by providing three years of funding for a diverse group of playwrights to work with selected theatres across the country.

“We are so proud that the Rep is one of just a handful of American regional theatres chosen for this program,” said Hana S. Sharif, artistic director at the Rep, in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Regina Taylor’s multidisciplinary artistry and activism integrated into the Rep’s artistic and community programming models for three years. Over the course of her residency, we look forward to collaborating on innovative artistic forms, grassroots community building, and developing new work for the national canon. I am excited to experience the ways Regina’s artistry will be influenced by the richness of the greater St. Louis landscape and in turn how her resonant voice and vision will impact our region.”

Taylor’s credits include performing on Broadway in As You Like It (Celia), Macbeth (First Witch), and Romeo and Juliet (Juliet). Taylor’s play Drowning Crow also ran on Broadway in 2004. In addition to her theatre work, Taylor is a Golden Globe-winning actress for her role in  I’ll Fly Away. She’s also known for her starring role in CBS’s The Unit and her film work in  Lean on Me and Clockers. Recently she appeared in an episode of HBO’s Lovecraft Country.

Taylor’s work has also been seen on the Rep’s stage before, with her play Crowns running as part of the Rep’s 2004-05 season. Taylor’s first piece for this residency will be Love and Kindness in the Time of Quarantine, in which she is working with local and national artists to create songs and spoken-word pieces reflecting the current times.

“My goal is to create work that speaks to community,” said Taylor in a statement. “I believe the arts flow through everything, and I live and breathe it. That’s who I am and what I do. I’m very excited about this opportunity.”