Jerome Preston Bates

Most notably created the role of blues guitarist Floyd Barton in SEVEN GUITARS by August Wilson at the Goodman’s Theatre world premiere in Chicago. Also Autumn by Richard Wesley opposite Pauletta Washington. Bates later joined the Broadway cast of SEVEN GUITARS opposite Ruben Santiago Hudson and Keith David and directed by Lloyd Richards. Other Broadway credits include STICKFLY directed by Kenny Leon, JITNEY and most recently American Son opposite Kerry Washington. Film credits includes SHAFT 2001 with Samuel L Jackson, PEEPLES, MUSICAL CHAIRS, TIO PAPI, The OUT OF TOWNERS opposite Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn and It Runs In The Family opposite Michael Douglas. Television credits HBO’s OZ as Travis Smith, All My Children as Derek Frye, also Law and Order and SVU, Third Watch, NYPD Blue and Lights Out. Regional Theatre includes The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Two Trains Running, King Richard III and The Comedy of Errors, The Old Globe in Macbeth, Denver Center, Arena Stage, Center Stage, Philadelphia Drama Guild, Philadelphia Theatre Co, Alley Theatre, Yale Rep, Wilma Theatre and Hartford Stage to name a few, Off Broadway credits include The Public Theatre, Circle Rep, NEC. New Federal Theatre, 127th Rep Ensemble, Abingdon Theatre Co and The Billie Holiday Theatre. As a director Jerome has directed the entire August Wilson Cannon at the LCLaney Museum of African American History, The Man in Room 203 at Luna Stage and Seven Guitars at The Triad Stage in affiliation with NCA&T in Greensboro NC. And as a writer, Augusta Brown, Electric Lady, Jimi Slight Return, The Jimi Hendrix Experiment and the screenplay Jimi Hendrix Last Exit Before The Toll…Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.