Rosetta LeNoire

 ( 1911 Births ) 

Rosetta LeNoire (born Rosetta Olive Burton; August 8, 1911 – March 17, 2002) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She was known to contemporary audiences for her work in television. She had regular roles on such series as Gimme a Break! (starting in S4E17 of the series) and Amen (in seasons 2 and 3); she is particularly known for her role as Estelle "Mother" Winslow on Family Matters, which aired from 1989 to 1998. In 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Lifetime Honors - National Medal of Arts

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Early life and career LeNoire was born in Harlem, New York City, as the eldest of five children to Harold Burton, who was from Dominica, and Nymarie Edith Jacques Helwig, of Jamaica in the West Indies. As a young girl, LeNoire suffered from rickets, which her godfather Bill Robinson helped her overcome by teaching her to dance. Stage theater was her first love, and LeNoire performed in the Federal Theatre Project production Bassa Moona and was cast as a witch in Voodoo Macbeth of Macbeth."CUNY Spotlight." Interview with Edwin Wilson. City University Television, The Center for Advanced Study in Theatre Arts (CASTA) New York, 1991.

LeNoire appeared in a 1939 production of The Hot Mikado, starring Robinson, in which she played "Little Maid From School" Peep-Bo. She also appeared onstage, mostly as a singer and dancer, in I Had a Ball, Bassa Moona, Marching with Jimmy, Janie, Decision, Three's a Family, Destry Rides Again, and the Off Broadway Double Entry (two one-act musicals showcasing LeNoire: "The Bible Salesman," with a pre- SNL Garrett Morris, and "The Oldest Trick in the World" with Jane Connell).

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Amas Repertory Theater LeNoire championed the cause of racial equity for more than 70 years. Her efforts profoundly influenced the New York theater community. In 1968, using her own savings, LeNoire founded the AMAS Repertory Theatre Company, an interracial theater dedicated to multi-ethnic productions in New York City.

With this company, LeNoire created an artistic community where members' individual skills were recognized without regard to race, creed, color, religion, or national origin. She became a successful and groundbreaking Broadway producer.

The Actors' Equity Association awarded her the first award for helping contribute to the diversification of theater casting; in 1988, the award was named the Rosetta LeNoire Award.

Amas Repertory Theatre provided a nurturing atmosphere for actors, and a community performing arts center. Throughout its history, many of the company's productions garnered reviews in The New York Times. The long-running theater's cramped headquarters were originally located at 1 East 104th Street, in the uptown neighborhood known as East Harlem. The theater continues today as Amas Musical Theatre, now located midtown on West 52nd Street above Jersey Boys, and carries on LeNoire's dream of diversity in the creative and theatrical arts. Since its inception, Amas has produced over 60 original musicals. Many of them have gone on to Broadway, including Bubbling Brown Sugar, which received a Tony Award nomination in 1976 for Best Musical.

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Voice acting LeNoire was the voice of Big Bertha in Ralph Bakshi's animated feature film Fritz the Cat (1972).

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Death On March 17, 2002, LeNoire died at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, New Jersey, of complications from diabetes, but an article in TV Guide reported that she died of pneumonia. A resident of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, she was 90 years old at the time of her death.Martin, Douglas. "Rosetta LeNoire, 90, Producer Who Broke Color Bar, Dies", The New York Times, March 20, 2002; accessed September 13, 2011. A Catholic Church, she was funeralized at St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church in the The Bronx.

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Legacy

The Rosie Award, named for Rosetta LeNoire, "is given to individuals who demonstrate extraordinary accomplishment and dedication in the theatrical arts and to corporations that work to promote opportunity and diversity", "Amas Musical Theatre benefit on Oct 25 includes concert presentation of 'RAISIN'", BroadwayWorld, October 12, 2004. with past honorees including Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen de Lavallade, Leslie Uggams, Maurice Hines, Phylicia Rashad, Woodie King Jr., Dionne Warwick, and George C. Wolfe. "Blast From the Past Benefit Concert", Theater Mania, April 4, 2011.

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Filmography

+ Film

Voice

+ Television

2 episodes

Television film

2 episodes

Episode: "Journey to Oblivion"

Episode: "The Love Song of Barney Kempinski"

Television film

Episode: "Not with My Cousin You Don't"

Unknown episodes

Episode: "The $80 Heist"

Television film

Short

6 episodes

Television film

Episode: "Family Reunion/Voodoo"

Short

Television film

Television film

Episode: "You Can't Take It with You"

Episode: "Parlour Floor Front"

16 episodes

Television film

8 episodes

Television film

Main (seasons 1–7); recurring (seasons 8–9)

Episode: "Playground Scar"

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External links

Categories: 1911 Births, 2002 Deaths, 20th-century African-american Actresses, 20th-century American Actresses, 20th-century Roman Catholics, 21st-century African-american Actresses, 21st-century American Actresses, 21st-century Roman Catholics, Actresses From Englewood, New Jersey, Actresses From Manhattan, African-american Catholics, American Actors Of Jamaican Descent, American People Of Dominica Descent, American Soap Opera Actresses, American Stage Actresses, American Voice Actresses, Burials At Cypress Hills Cemetery, Catholics From New Jersey, Deaths From Diabetes In New Jersey, Deaths From Pneumonia In New Jersey, People From East Harlem, People From Wakefield, Bronx, United States National Medal Of Arts Recipients, Federal Theatre Project People

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