For the theatre, Charles directed the Tony nominated Broadway premiere of Alice Childress’ Trouble In Mind at the Roundabout, the acclaimed premiere of the new musical American Prophet: Frederick Douglass In His Own Words (which he co-wrote with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon), the smash hit MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL (Broadway, London, and the National Tour), the Broadway bound musical BORN FOR THIS (Alliance Theatre, Cutler Majestic Theatre), which he co-wrote with gospel icon Bebe Winans, the Pulitzer prize winning play RUINED and the record breaking musical SOPHISTICATED LADIES (starring Maurice Hines) at Arena Stage, GUYS AND DOLLS (50^th anniversary national tour), the 75th anniversary tour of the opera PORGY AND BESS, Brian Stokes Mitchell in his solo show LOVE/LIFE at Lincoln Center, Daniel Beaty’s THROUGH THE NIGHT at the Union Square Theatre and the Geffen Theatre, THEY’RE PLAYING OUR SONG (in Portuguese) in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brasil, BLOOD KNOT at ACT in San Francisco (featuring music by Tracy Chapman), and CABARET VERBOTEN at the Mark Taper Forum (with Bebe Neuwirth and Roger Rees).

Charles directed and co-wrote THE DIVA IS DISMISSED (starring Jenifer Lewis) at the NYSF Public Theater, ME AND MRS. JONES (a musical which starred Lou Rawls featuring the classic music of the Sound of Philadelphia) at the Prince Music Theatre, and HOMEWORK (starring Kim Coles) in NYC, LA, and NJ at Crossroads Theatre. He directed the world premieres of TOUGH TITTY by Oni Faida Lampley at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, AKEELAH AND THE BEE for the CTC in Minneapolis and Arena Stage, and SENOR DISCRETION HIMSELF, (the last musical written by Frank Loesser, based on a story by Budd Schulberg, and co-written with Culture Clash). He also directed TARTUFFE and INSURRECTION: HOLDING HISTORY at ACT, HAIR … FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, the 20th anniversary event at the United Nations (which was the first benefit of its kind for children with AIDS), and MUSIC AND REMEMBRANCE (starring Leontyne Price, Itzhak Perlman, and James Galway) at Carnegie Hall.

Charles wrote the play BLUE, starring Phylicia Rashad, which broke box office records at Arena Stage (where Charles was an inaugural resident playwright). BLUE subsequently has been produced throughout the United States, including its New York debut at the Roundabout Theatre (which starred Ms. Rashad and Hill Harper) and the Pasadena Playhouse (which starred Ms. Rashad, Diahann Carroll, and Clifton Davis). Charles also wrote DUKE & ROYA (starring Jay Ellis), CUTTIN’ UP (based upon the best-selling book by Craig Marberry), THE NIGHT IS A CHILD (starring JoBeth Williams), and co-wrote BEA ARTHUR ON BROADWAY: JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS, which toured internationally, including a Tony nominated run on Broadway.