Actor & Playwright

Daniel
Beaty

Daniel Beaty is an award-winning actor, singer, writer and community activist. He is the co-writer/star of the critically acclaimed feature film Chapter & Verse. His critically acclaimed plays Through the Night, Emergency, Mr. Joy, and The Tallest Tree in the Forest—Paul Robeson have been performed at venues ranging from Lincoln Center to the White House, and have garnered numerous awards including an Obie Award for writing and performance and three NAACP Theater Awards. A highly requested performer and keynote speaker, Beaty has worked throughout the U.S., Europe, and Africa. In fall 2011, Beaty launched a nationwide initiative called I DREAM, using the tools of storytelling to help individuals and communities heal trauma. I DREAM currently serves thousands of young people in three cities across America. A graduate of Yale University (BA) and American Conservatory Theatre (MFA), Beaty is developing an original T.V. show based on his life for USA Network, executive produced by multi-Grammy Award winning artist Alicia Keys and Vin Diesel. He is developing a second series with Universal produced by Eva Longoria. Beaty just completed a documentary about the impact of mass incarceration on children and families called Behind the Glass. A child of an incarcerated parent himself, Daniel’s poem Knock Knock has become an Internet sensation, receiving over 30 million views, and has been made into a children’s book, also titled Knock Knock, published by Little Brown Books. Penguin-Random House published his empowerment book Transforming Pain to Power in 2014.