Charlayne Woodard is an American film, stage, and television actress and playwright. Woodard is a two-time OBIE Award-winner and Tony Award nominee. She has written and performed four critically acclaimed solo plays: Pretty Fire garnered L.A. Drama Critics and NAACP Awards for Best Play and Best Playwright (Odyssey Theatre), Neat received Irving and Blanche Laurie Theatre Vision and Backstage West Garland Awards for Best Play (Seattle Repertory/Manhattan Theatre Club), In Real Life received Backstage West Garland, Audelco, and NAACP Awards for Best Playwright and Actor (Center Theatre/Seattle Repertory/Sundance Theatre Lab), and The Night Watcher garnered L.A. Drama Critics and NAACP Awards for Best Solo Performance (Ojai Playwrights’ Conference). 

Woodard also wrote a multi-character adaptation of African and African-American folktales, Flight (Mark Taper Forum).

As an actress, Woodard debuted on Broadway as Dionne in Hair (Biltmore Theatre) and starred in both original and revival productions of Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Longacre/Ambassador Theatres).