Actor / Director Profile

Colman was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the proud son of working class Clarence and Edith Bowles. He was educated at Temple University and moved to San Francisco to begin a career on the stage. In his very first play, he was cast in the lead as a high school boy dying of AIDS complications. His professional breakthrough was in the multiple award winning play Blues For an Alabama Sky at TheaterWorks in California. He is a Tony Award nominee for the final Kander and Ebb collaboration "The Scottsboro Boys" directed by Susan Stroman. Colman is the winner of the OBIE Award (Passing Strange), GLAAD and Lucille Lortel for his self penned solo show (A Boy and His Soul), Connecticut Critics Circle (Coming Home)and Bay Area Theater Critics Circle (Passing Strange). He has been nominated for the Drama Desk, Audelco and Drama League Award (A Boy and His Soul, and Fred Astaire Award (The Scottsboro Boys). He is well known for his portrayal of Mr Franklin and Mr. Venus of Berlin in the Tony Award winning musical/Spike Lee film "Passing Strange." An award winning director, playwright and photographer, he makes New York City his home.