Francois Battiste

Battiste graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelor’s degree in theatre. While a student at ISU, Battiste performed two summers in the Illinois Shakespeare Festival (ISF). Battiste was named as one of 40 actors to the ISF Actor Honor Roll, established in 2017 during the Festival’s 40th Anniversary Season. Battiste’s career spans across all facets of performance including commercials, radio, and television voice overs, audio books, television, film, as well as the theatre stage. He has performed at The Goodman Theatre, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens, and Lookingglass Theatre. During his graduate studies at Juilliard, Battiste was awarded the Houseman Award—the first African American male in the school’s history to earn the prestigious honor. Battiste had performed both on and off Broadway. He received the OBIE Award for his performance in the Pulitzer Prize finalist play,  The Good Negro  at The Public Theater and acted opposite Al Pacino, Jesse L. Martin, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson in  The Merchant of Venice  directed by Dan Sullivan and  The Winter’s Tale  directed by Michael Grief for Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte in New York City. He played Malcom X in the Oliver-nominated play,  One Night in Miami  at the DonMar Warehouse in London and performed opposite Blair Underwood in the new play,  Paradise Blue  by Dominique Morriseau at the Signature Theatre in New York.