Interview: Why Denzel Washington Tapped Debbie Allen to Bring Back Joe Turner's Come and Gone

Few artists have shaped as many corners of the industry as Debbie Allen.

A Tony-nominated actor and dancer, veteran choreographer, film producer, and prolific director, Allen has spent decades moving seamlessly between live performance and the screen, building institutions while mentoring generations of artists. From her work behind the scenes on Grey’s Anatomy to founding the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Allen’s career has always been rooted in a deep commitment to her community, and she was recognized for the full bredth of her work in 2025 with an honorary Oscar.

Now Allen is returning to the theater to direct a new production of Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, part of August Wilson’s monumental Pittsburgh Cycle of plays. The project arrives with a personal connection: she was asked by her longtime collaborator Denzel Washington to take the helm.

In our conversation, Allen discusses revisiting Wilson’s work decades after first encountering it, assembling a cast that includes Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer, and why the themes of migration, identity, and belonging in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone feel especially urgent today.

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Were you the instigator of this project?
I am already scheduled to direct Joe Turner’s Come and Gone as a film. When they did The Piano Lesson, it was a play first and then a film, so Denzel felt this was a good idea and asked if I wanted to do it. And I’m like, “Absolutely!”

Did you see the original production?
I did, on opening night. My husband was an investor in ’88, so that’s my relationship with this. I saw Fences with Denzel and Viola, and Phylicia in Gem of the Ocean. I had the opportunity to meet August and have a nice chat with him back then. So here I am now, bringing my whole skill set to it.

How did you get Taraji and Cedric for the roles of Bertha and Seth?
I’ve known Taraji since she was a student at Howard University. She was the first winner of an award my sister and I created in honor of our father, Dr. Andrew Arthur Allen, for the most dynamic student in the drama department. I’ve known Cedric forever. Our paths have crossed in Hollywood many times, and he has been supportive, as a philanthropist, to Debbie Allen Dance Academy, the school I created with Shonda Rhimes and Wallis Annenberg.

I saw Cedric at the memorial for James Earl Jones and said, “Oh, what are you doing?” Taraji, I called on the phone, and she said, “Debbie Allen, you know I can’t say no to you and August Wilson.” And I said, “That’s right.”

I got all my first choices. I’ve been wanting to work with Joshua Boone for many years, and this is the right project. Maya Boyd, who plays Molly, I’ve known since she was about 10 years old. Tripp, the young man playing Jeremy, I snatched him out of Carnegie Mellon. Ruben Santiago-Hudson was like, “Are you kidding? Let’s go!” He’s also slated to write the screenplay, but he is an incredible actor.

How does the theatrical directing process compare to your television work?
In television and film, we have to do it much quicker. We don’t have the luxury of rehearsal. On Grey’s Anatomy, I may have an opportunity to rehearse actors on the lunch break when I might get an hour. Here, I have several weeks. I don’t even get up from the table for the first three days, at least. I want to explore the drama as written and who the characters are. I wrote a 40-page study guide for my company, because when you direct August Wilson, you have to do a deep dive. You can’t just get up there and say the words.

So, the biggest difference is the time. The approach is still the same. You have to understand how to break down the dramatic narrative. I’m a student of Uta Hagen, and she said every scene has an action, a need, and an obstacle. What is this scene about? Who is it about? In film, the camera is telling you. On stage, lighting helps you.

So, Denzel hand-picked you for this?
Denzel and I have known each other since we were at Woodie King’s New Federal Theatre. I got Denzel to direct an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, before he was directing Fences, the movie. The agreement was I had to keep it quiet; Shonda Rhimes and I were the only ones who knew.

It was a great experience for him to work under that kind of tempo, because Grey’s Anatomy is nine days [per episode]. He looked at the schedule and said, “What is this? Six pages [a day]? We usually do three pages.” I said, “Honey, come on.” I was by his side the whole time, like I am with all the directors. I hire all the directors on Grey’s Anatomy. It is part of my job to find them and bring them in. And he was fantastic.

So, when he pointed his finger at me for this, I said, “I would love to.”

What do you look for in a director?
I’m looking for someone who understands the language of actors. We can do shots, but I don’t want to know what your shot list is. I want you to talk to me and tell me what the scene is about. If you understand that, it’s going to tell me how you are going to shoot it. It’s also going to tell me that you know how to talk to the actor.

What is it about Joe Turner’s Come and Gone that speaks to you?
I love the intergenerational part of it, all the different ages. I love the messaging. I love what it’s about. It’s about what’s happening now. Everybody is in migration, trying to figure out where the hell we’re going to go. How do you stay together, and how do you stay connected to your cultural identity at a time when it’s so challenged? The play is about people holding on to that song. And if you know August at all, you know the song is a metaphor for many things.

You received a special Oscar in November at the 16th Governors Awards, alongside Tom Cruise and Wynn Thomas. What an honor.
Well, certainly it was something I was never anticipating or expecting.  It was such a gift that basically ingratiated me with a level of respect for the many years of work and craft. I worked with the Oscars for so many years as their kind of creative consciousness with Gil Cates, and as a kid, I always loved watching it and I never saw enough people that looked like me, if you know what I mean.  It is given to me, but I had to share it with my community. We’re in the field, on the ground. We’re the generals. That’s who we are. This award just means a lot to the community.