Steven A Butler, Jr. is an award-winning playwright, Arena Stage Playwright’s Arena Playwriting Fellow and actor whose plays, film and books have been seen and taught around the world. His feature film, “Veils—Requiem for Trayvon,” won the Best Narrative Feature Award at the 2025 Prince George’s Film Festival.

Steven has has a long and productive career as a writer. His first full-length play, “THE TRUTH,” had its’ premiere at the H Street Playhouse on May 28, 2005. The video of “THE TRUTH” has been acquired by libraries on five continents (in thirty-six countries) for inclusion in the archives and curriculums of several universities, sold more than a thousand copies, and has been viewed more than one hundred thousand times on YouTube. The video of the live production of “THE TRUTH” appeared on Nigerian television and was screened as part of Nashville, Tennessee’s Pride celebration in 2007.

Steven is the co-founder of Restoration Stage, the theatre company established for the production of his works. Produced by Restoration Stage, Steven’s plays have toured in numerous cities including Los Angeles (Nate Holden Performing Arts Center), Miami, FL (Gusman Center for the Performing Arts), New York City, NY (AMT Theatre), and Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum) as well as in numerous venues across the Washington capitol region. In 2008, Steven wrote the tribute “Humbled, Honored, Afraid” presented in the presence of Cicely Tyson when she was honored by the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.

Steven is a proud graduate of Howard University (where he enjoyed a close relationship with his artistic mentor, the legendary stage, television, and film actor Al Freeman, Jr.) and a veteran of the United States Air-Force. He is a member of Actors Equity Association—notably appearing in Dianne McIntyre and Olu Dara’s Helen Hayes Award-winningproduction of “Open the Door, Virginia!” in both the Theatre of the First Amendment production and the run of the play in Farmville, Virginia that commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision that is the focus of the piece.

Steven’s plays include “THE TRUTH,” “Chocolate Covered Ants,” “All That Glitters,” “Veils,” “The Katrina Project,” “Drag On!,” “The Very Last Days of the First Colored Circus,” and “Silver Foxxes,” “Stumpworth,” “Our Town,“ as well as his new play, “Live from the Whitelaw Hotel,” currently in development. “Live from the Whitelaw Hotel” is the story of the historic Whitelaw Hotel, the first five star hotel built to accommodate African-Americans (which opened its’ doors in the U Street corridor in 1918.)

Restoration Stage alumni who have performed Steven’s work include Roz White (Tina, Hell’s Kitchen,) Travina Springer (The Irrational), Isaiah Johnson (Hamilton), (The Color Purple), (Cornelius Smith, Jr., ABC/Scandal), Emmy Award winner, Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale/Orange is the New Black.)