Gayle Samuels

LCT: Ohio State Murders. Gayle Samuelsrecently portrayed Lena Younger in A Raisin In the Sun at the Sydney Theatre Company. She received a Best Supporting Actress Award for the independent film American Wisper and a Best Actress nomination from the Connecticut Critics Circle for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She recently worked with Emmy Award winner Peter Dinklage in Cyrano, originating the role of the Chaperone at the Goodspeed Opera House, and just directed a production of The Mountaintop at the Music Theatre of Connecticut. Gayle has appeared on Broadway in Children of a Lesser God, Sunset Boulevard, Grind, and Dancin’. Her Off- Broadway credits include Barbara in MsTrial, Gloria in Sistas, Ronnette in Little Shop of Horrors and Josephine Baker in The Dark Star from Harlem.  She toured internationally as a featured vocalist with Harry Belafonte, played the Phyllis Hyman role in the Russian tour of Sophisticated Ladies and played Mrs. Loftus in the national tour of Little House on the Prairie starring Melissa Gilbert. Regionally, Gayle has worked at The Artist Repertory Theatre (Seven Guitars), John W. Engeman Theatre (The Sunshine Boys), The Florida Repertory Theatre (Fences), The Guthrie (Little House on the Prairie), Cincinnati Playhouse (Crowns, Beehive), The Florida Studio Theatre (The World Goes Round), and Georgia Shakespeare (Shrew). Gayle’s television and film credits include Bull, The Equalizer, Queens, The Flight Attendant, Girls5eva, Blue Bloods, Madam Secretary, The Americans, The Class and Black Nativity.