Jackie Taylor

Jacqueline Taylor (born August 10, 1951) is an American actress, playwright, director, and theater producer. She is the founder and CEO of the Black Ensemble Theater in Chicago.

Taylor has acted in several films, most notably Cooley High (1975). In 1976, she opened the Black Ensemble Theater, whose mission is to “eradicate racism and its damaging effects on our society through the utilization of theater arts and community engagement.” She is the president of the African American Arts Alliance.

Early life and education Jackie Taylor was born to parents Gus L. Taylor and Lucile (Ward) Taylor on August 10, 1951; she is the second youngest of her seven siblings. She grew up alongside her siblings in the Cabrini-Green housing projects. The conditions of Cabrini-Green coupled with Jackie's relationship with her mother made her upbringing turbulent. Taylor took interest in theater and story-telling from a young age; as a toddler she would make up stories and act them out in her closet. She started writing plays, poetry, and stories by age 8, and by the time she was in 7th grade, she had started directing plays. NPR called Cooley High, "a classic of black cinema".

Taylor started to become frustrated with the roles she was being offered, stating that they were often exploitative and stereotypical.

Accolades and achievements Taylor has been given the lifetime achievement award by the League of Chicago Theaters, and Actors' Equity's Rosetta LeNoire Award for "outstanding artistic contributions to the universality of the human experience in American Theater". In 2009, Governor Pat Quinn declared March 27, 2009 Jackie Taylor Day in Illinois. Taylor was named a Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Magazine in 2011. "Beacon Street" in Chicago's north side has been honorarily named "Jackie Taylor Street". New City Stage Magazine listed Taylor as one of 50 "People Who Really Perform in Chicago".

Personal life Taylor married Phil Wright while she was in college and together they had one daughter.