Dominique Morisseau, Detroit Playwright, Wins "Engineering Scholarship"

Although "Pipeline" involves a teacher from a public school in New York City, Morisseau is known to be a columnist from his hometown, Detroit.

His work includes The Detroit Project, a trilogy of plays on the city taking place in three different eras. "Detroit '67" takes place during the rebellion of the summer of 1967, while "Paradise Blue" is linked to the Detroit jazz community in 1949. The last part of the trilogy, "Skeleton Crew", takes place in a car factory in 2008.

Morisseau's first musical, "Is not Too Proud – The Life and Times of Temptations", is inspired by the classic Motown band. He is expected to reach Broadway in 2019 and has just finished a race in Los Angeles.

When asked if she would agree to consider her "Genie" award as a victory for Detroit, Morisseau, who has lived in New York and is now based in Los Angeles, responded yes with enthusiasm.

"When I win, it's always Detroit who wins, I'm a Detroit girl and I represent the city, that will help me continue the efforts I want to make in Detroit, the creative and artistic endeavors that want to do at home. "

Morisseau's credits include the co-production and writing for Showtime's "Shameless". She says the MacArthur grant is the kind of gift that makes artists dream.

"To be able to get a price that asks you to think only about being an artist for several years, the kind of work you can create? I do not know what I'm going to create but I'm very excited about the possibilities . "

Playwright Dominique Morisseau laughs at the "Detroit & # 39; Roundtable" in April 2016 at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. (Photo: Tim Galloway, Free Press Special)

At the Detroit Public Theater, happiness at the news of Morisseau overflowed. "Her writing, her love for Detroit, her homeland where she grew up, and her commitment to bringing great theater and telling great stories to her city and city are so inspiring," said Sarah Clare Corporandy, Artistic Producer director. "We are definitely a champion of her work and we are excited to produce it."

"Pipeline" will be Morisseau's third play and the Detroit Public Theater's fourth total production. The troupe also staged "Skeleton Crew" and "Detroit & # 39; 67". It also took a mobile version of "Detroit's" 67 at several locations in the city to commemorate the Detroit Rebellion in 1967.

Corporandy explains that Morisseau's writing is so special, it's his ability to connect people from different backgrounds and help them understand each other. "Dominique's work does that so beautifully, in such a raw, deep, emotional and affectionate way.His characters are so Detroit, real human beings.I think many of us can see parts of our family in them, parts of ourselves in them. "

Morisseau plans to come to Detroit to see "Pipeline" at one point or another during his tour of November 4th. She also hopes to be able to present part of the cast of "Ain & # 39; t Too Fier to Beg" soon in Detroit.

At present, she has a lot of work in what she calls "the queue," including the Broadway opening of "Ain's To Fier to Beg ", television projects and films in development, a new musical and a new play.

The former student of Cass Tech High School and the University of Michigan's theater program admits that the nickname "genius" of MacArthur Fellows is strange to consider.

"I always say, well, you can not call one, so God be praised, someone else will do it," said Morisseau.

"In truth, there are many genies, sung and not sung, here and I am delighted to be in the company of so many great minds in so many areas that contribute to our overall social fabric. "