Barbara Montgomery’s exceptional career as an actor, writer and director has taken her from the Off-Off Broadway Movement, Regional Theatre, Broadway, Europe and the Far East. Early years include The Old Reliable Theatre, Café La MaMa, Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre, the Negro Ensemble Company in productions of Waiting for Mongo, the First Breeze of Summer, Daughters of the Mock, Eden, Nevis Mt. Dew, The Great Mac Daddy and the Abercrombie Apocalypse. Regional theatres include: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Arena Stage, Cricket Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Yale Repertory Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre and the Intiman, in such classics as The Old Settler, Genet’s The Blacks, No Place to Be Somebody, The Amen Corner, and Oedipus Rex. La MaMa Tours from Spoleto, Italy to Persia in productions of A Rat’s Mass, As You Like It, Caligula, Macbeth, and The Cotton Club.

On Broadway; Raisin The Musical, My Sister My Sister. The First Breeze of Summer, Kennedy’s Children, Inacent Black and The Tap Dance Kid. In 1983, she co-founded and was Artistic Director of Black Women in Theatre, Inc., where she compiled and directed The Actress. She is the recipient of an Obie Award and several AUDELCO Awards.

Then a call came and there Barbara was in Los Angeles embarking on the Television part of her career; Series regular on Amen and Married People and in productions of The Women Of Brewster Place, Polly, Polly One More Time, Quantum Leap, A Different World, Women Of The House, Daves World, The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air and Living Single.
Flm; Lift, Moscow on the Hudson, The Fight for Jenny, Evergreen.

Then the "calling", back to New York; In Woody Kings' New Federal Theater productions of Do Lord Remember Me, The Trial Of One Shortsighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safretta Mae, and The Dance On Widows Row. At LaMaMa E.T.C.directing three Paul Green one acts and his Hymn To The Rising Sun. Conceived, wrote and directed Cacao Dolce (Sweet Chocolate) conceived and directed Linizo del Dolore (The Beginning of Sorrows) at LaMaMa Umbria,Italy. Director in Residence for Opera Ebony,two seasons, The Meeting and Harriet Tubman / Frederick Douglas. Directed Blues in a Broken Tongue for the Negro Ensemble Company and Showboat for Mercury Opera, Rochester N.Y.

As a result of her work as an artist and commitment to community, Barbara's professional and humanitarian interests have come together in her directing and producing of the film "Mitote".