Jackie Taylor founded the Black Ensemble Theater in 1976 with a goal of creating original musicals based on the lives of Black performers.
Taylor had been acting professionally for about six years at that time. But despite choice roles on stage with well-known local companies like the Goodman and Organic theaters, and even though she had a decent role in the now classic Chicago movie "Cooley High" , she was disturbed by the stereotypical roles that Black actors were being offered.
Taylor certainly has had no limits in her role with the theater that she founded back during the country's bicentennial year. Since its launch in 1976, Taylor has written and directed more than 100 productions for the company, many of which were original musicals based on the life and times of great Black performers in the 20th century.
These accomplishments have cemented Taylor as the "grande dame" of Chicago theater - one of the city's most influential theatrical impresarios. Taylor became a well-respected actress early on in her career, and branched out into films by the mid-1970s. In addition to "Cooley High," she also appeared in other films like "Hoodlum," "The Father Clements Story," "Barbershop 2" and "To Sir With Love: Part 2."
Still, Taylor says she's only scratched the surface when it comes to creating shows based on the lives of Black performers. "There's just so many great performers and great stories out there," Taylor said. "For instance, we haven't done James Brown yet. And I'd still love to do a show about Smokey Robinson - his songs are beautiful."
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