Respected actor, director, and teacher Lynda Gravátt has passed away. News of her passing was confirmed by the National Black Theatre, with whom she was closely associated. Ms. Gravátt was 77.

A storyteller at heart, Ms. Gravátt made her Broadway debut at 4 years old, appearing as a child in The King and I. Her childhood gravitas made her a favorite on local television, including on Joe Michael’s Kids; and by nine she had made her Carnegie Hall debut.

As an adult, she became a founding member of Robert Alexander’s Living Stage/Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. When she returned to her native New York, she quickly became a beloved member of the Off-Broadway artistic ecosystem, starring in countless plays, including The Old Settler, Crowns, Intimate Apparel, Miss Witherspoon, The Little Foxes, Skeleton Crew, The House That Will Not Stand, and more.

She returned to Broadway in 2001, standing by for Leslie Uggams in King Hedley II before starring as Bessie James in 45 Seconds from Broadway the same season. In 2006, she appeared as Mrs. Muller in the original Broadway production of Doubt. Her final Broadway appearance came in 2008, when she understudied the role of Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite James Earl Jones.

Ms. Gravátt's final onstage appearance came in 2018, when she starred in The Duke's The Revolving Cycles Truly and Steadily Roll'd. Throughout her career, Ms. Gravátt was nominated for four AUDELCO awards and two Drama League Awards, winning the 1999 Theatre World award for her performance in The Old Settler, and the 2004 AUDELCO Award for her performance in Intimate Apparel. 

Information on a public memorial is forthcoming.