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Award-winning theater director Marion McClinton has died. The St. Paul native was known as a leading director of August Wilson's work and other plays about the African-American experience.

In 2001, McClinton was nominated for a Tony Award for his work on “King Hedley II.” He received an Obie Award the previous year for “Jitney.”

In 2014, he oversaw the production of "Othello" at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. At the time, 

 about being an African-American director doing a play that came with racial baggage.

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"Is it a racist play? It's been called that. I've called it that in the past," he said. "But working on it, I don't see it as such. Once you start working on a play you start working on the characters."

Meanwhile, tributes and messages from around the industry have been pouring in.

McClinton had recently been in failing health. He died Thursday at Regions Hospital at the age of 65.

Arts and Culture

Mike Moen

Author

The stage director, known for his work on August Wilson plays, died on Thanksgiving after suffering from kidney disease.

Broadway director and St. Paul native Marion McClinton dies at age 65

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