Oba William King

Oba is an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award Recipient in Traditional
Folk Arts, A Jewel/Osco Hidden Jewel of The Neighborhood; A Gwendolyn
Brooks Hands on Stanza’s award recipient as well as other distinguished
awards. He is a featured artist through Center Stage for WTTW television in
Chicago; the Bermuda State Library; PBS radio station WBEZ FM
program “So Many Ways To Tell A Story;” The Bronzeville Children’s
Museum, the DuSable Museum, CPS Early Childhood Education, and
The Sun Foundation's Arts and Science in the Woods.
Oba’s history of presenting programs for teen, adult and seasoned
adult audiences dates back to 1994 “Breaking Chains” a one-man
show at Beatrice Community College in Nebraska.
In 1998 Oba received an award nomination for the lead role in
Dracula at Lifeline Theatre, in Chicago. His trend-setting
presentation of Sound of a Voice, by David Henry Hwang was
presented at The Halsted Theatre in Pilsen, 2001.
In 2008 Oba won the Black Theatre Alliance award-for best lead male
actor for his portrayal of Louie in Louie and Ophelia at ETA Theatre
also in Chicago, Illinois. During 2010 Oba's programs are featured as Headliner for Fox Valley Storytelling Festival, The Celtic Knot, Evanston Illinois, Stage Left/Spoken Word Cafe Woodstock, Illinois, Signifying and Testifying Storytelling Concert Minneapolis, Minnesota, St Louis Public
Library Dream Weavers program, National Association of Black Storytellers, 37 and 38 Annual Concert and Festival.