Born Frances Helen Brown, June 11, 1924, in Yonkers, NY; died of a cerebral hemorrhage, June 17, 1997, in Fairfax, VA. Actress and director. Foster was acharacter actress who is remembered for her work on the stage, film, and television. From 1967 to 1986, she performed with the Negro Ensemble Company in New York City. A founding member of the company, she appeared in productions such as Brotherhood, First Breeze of Summer, Henrietta, and House of Shadows.She also appeared in stage productions of Do Lord Remember Me, A Raisin in the Sun, The Crucible, God Is a (Guess What?), Ground People, and Having Our Say, among many others. Foster was the director of Hospice in 1983 at the New Federal Theatre in New York City. She also appeared in various films. Among them are Cops and Robbers, Streets of Gold, The Distinguished Gentleman, The Juror, James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket, and Tammy and the Doctor. She made several films with director Spike Lee, including Crooklyn, Malcolm X, andClockers. Foster also appeared on many daytime dramas, including All My Children, Ryan's Hope, One Life to Live, Search for Tomorrow, The Guiding Light, and Love of Life. Sesame Street and the miniseries North and South are also among her credits. In addition, she served as artist in resident at the City College of New York in the mid-1970s. She also served the Actors' Equity Association as a member of its council from 1953 to 1967. Among her numerous honorsare two Audelco Awards (for Do Lord Remember Me and Hospice), an Obie Awardfor sustained excellence performance, an Adolph Caesar Performing Arts Award,and a Black Women in the Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award.
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