This biographical epic documentary film weaves the life story of the beloved, influential, and legendary Black theatre director Chuck Smith through his record-breaking revival of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom by August Wilson. From his Southside Chicago upbringing through his service in the Marines to his historic directing career spanning five decades and counting. 

Take Wings enters the canon of great artist documentaries that tell an artist’s background in the context of some of their greatest artistic achievements. Beyonce’s documentary, Homecoming, about her 2018 Coachella performance and the biopic Little Richard: I Am Everything come to mind. In the age of AI, theatre is one of our last bastions of art that necessitates human presence, human connection, and human storytelling. This documentary serves as a reminder to our culture that the greatest theatre artists are architects of human connection and transcending the things that divide us. Chuck’s life is a testament to this and his work in professional theatres and academic settings inspired a generation of other theatre makers, and we need his story to understand the importance of Black theatre as the root of humanity.

Currently in post production.